A New Beginning
by Sucker4Scandal
Summary: This story picks up with Fitz drinking in front of the Christmas tree at the White House at the end of the winter finale. Right now it's NOT an Olitz story. I haven't decided what the endgame is here...
1. Chapter 1

**A New Beginning**

Fitz sat drinking his scotch in front of the Christmas tree at the White House. Alone. It didn't have to be this way. It shouldn't have been this way. In fact, there had been a plan specifically set in motion for it to NOT be this way. He was supposed to be with Olivia in front of the Christmas tree at the White House. But she has run. Again. And he was exhausted from trying to keep her from running all the damn time.

They had had a huge fight upstairs in their bedroom where she told him "there is no us" and walked out on their life together. It had gutted him. Thinking back to the argument, they both had said some pretty nasty things to each other. Things that they both truly felt but had repressed because love really does make you blind, and mute apparently. Some things had been said in anger, because when a person wounds you, the natural recourse of action is to wound them right back. The problem with that is just like a tube of toothpaste, once the words have been spoken out loud, there is no taking them back. Even if you wanted to. She had called him 'ineffectual'. He had called her 'worse than Mellie'. Not a lie, but also not his best moment he thought as he stared at the ice in his amber filled glass. He sat in front of the brightly decorated festive tree feeling anything but festive. He got up, downed the contents of his glass, and started walking upstairs to go to bed. Alone.

In his bedroom he could still smell her perfume in the air from her earlier presence. It used to be a scent that sent a small bolt of electricity through him. Now it just made him sad. He took off his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt. He placed the shirt on the back of a chair and then be sat down to untie his shoes. He toed them off, stood to take off his pants, leaving them in a pile on the floor, and crawled into bed. He was emotionally and physically drained. The light in the room was still on but he was past caring, He pulled the blankets up to his neck and closed his eyes.

Early the next morning, while still half asleep, he reached for Olivia on the other side of the bed,. It was cold. Fitz opened his bleary eyes and looked around. The light overhead was a shock to his retinas. And then he remembered why the bed was cold. Olivia was gone. The pain of remembering that was not gone. He sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the bedside clock. It was only 4 am. The world outside was as dark as he felt on the inside. Fitz wanted to go back to sleep but knew that trying would be futile. He sighed heavily and swung his long legs out from under the blankets and onto the floor. It was going to be a long day no matter what time he got up so he figured he may as well start it off now.

After showering and brushing his teeth, the PresIdent of the United States got dressed and had breakfast while reading the newspaper. Of course the world had yet to find out that his now outted girlfriend, Olivia Pope, had left him, he knew he would have to endure the whispers, countless questions, sympathetic looks, and 'I told you sos' from those in his inner circle. He wasn't looking forward to that. He needed a plan. The problem with that was the person who he always counted on for fantastic plans where his personal life was concerned, had left him yesterday and was the very reason he needed a plan.

Fitz finished his breakfast and walked down to the Oval to get his day underway. He had a few meetings after lunch, but since it was 1the week of Christmas, there really was nothing pressing for him to do. He needed to find something to keep his mind busy so he wouldn't continue to revel in yesterdays blow up. Like an answer to an unspoken prayer, there was a knock on the door right before Cyrus walked into the Oval. Fitz looked up from his desk and his tired eyed met his Chief of Staff's tired eyes. "Good morning Mr. President. You're up early this morning."

"I couldn't sleep Cy, so I decided to get up and do some work. Speaking of early, this hour is exceptionally early for you as well. What are you doing here?"

Cyrus had known Fitzgerald Grant III for many years and knew there was more to this story. But he chose to let it go for now. He'd ask around later on and see what the cause for this early morning motivation. "Honestly, it was Ella. She ended up sleeping in my bed sometime around midnight from a bad dream. She tossed and turned for a few hours and I couldn't handle it anymore. Some days I don't know how James talked me into getting a baby. It's hard being a parent. Did you ever go through this with your kids, Sir?"

Fitz genuinely smiled at Cyrus' plight and chuckled. He was grateful for a nice diversion in his thoughts. "Jerry had bad dreams when he was little. I remember wondering if Mellie and I would ever get a full night's sleep. When he was two years old he slept in our bed more often than his own. The upside of the situation is that though he was scared of whatever he dreamed of, he loved being cuddled. It was a good opportunity to hold him close. Since his death I've sometimes thought of those nights where he would cling to me." Fitz stopped smiling and felt a pang of sadness for his deceased son. "Ella will outgrow it soon enough. Enjoy the cuddle time while you have it."

Cyrus didn't have time for cuddles and thought it was crazy that a small person was ruling his sleep routine. He waved the thought off almost immediately. "One of the news outlets wants to do a short sit down interview with you and Olivia..."

Fitz cut him off not wanting to hear anymore. "Cy..."

"They want to talk about what, if any, new Christmas traditions the two of you will be starting now that she is in the White House with you."

"Cy. That's not going to happen" he whispered sadly.

"They want to know how you are planning to celebrate New Years too." Cyrus rolled his eyes, obvio0usly annoyed at the ridiculous idea that this was considered newsworthy. "It's a fluff piece, Sir but I need to take a look at Liv's schedule to see when she will have time to do the interview."

"Cyrus!" Fitz yelled. Cyrus' head snapped up from the sheet of paper he was looking at. His boss was breathing heavily and looked quite angry. But for the life of him, Cyrus couldn't figure out why. "That's not going to happen.

Undeterred from his stupid mission in the hopes of gaining favorability with the American people for Fitz, he continued on. "It's not that big of a deal. I'll make sure the interview is with Kimberly Mitchell. She's nice. And not completely uncontrollable..."

Fitz sat down heavily in his chair behind the Resolute desk and put his head in his hands. He could feel a headache brewing behind his eyes and he just wanted to go back to bed. He didn't want to tell Cyrus that Olivia had left. That she wasn't coming back. That they were over for good. But apparently he didn't have a choice. Sitting down with Kimberly Mitchell or anyone else for that matter to discuss Christmas and New Years plans was not going to happen.

"Sir, if I may, this would be really good for you. Giving the public a peek into your private lives to see you as mere mortals instead of the Leader of the Free World. A regular couple doing regular things to celebrate the holidays." He could tell Fitz wasn't going for his idea, but Cy's job was to be the adult and direct his child, the President, the way he needed to go. And his angry child needed points with the public.

Fitz sighed again and decided he had no choice. He had to rip the bandage off fast and get it over with. Telling Cyrus first, would help him gage how other people would react, even though Cyrus never reacted like a normal person. Cyrus was a pain in the ass on a good day. This was not going to be a good day. He could almost see the huge smile that would be on Cyrus' face when he heard the news. Fitz looked up into the older mans face and said, "Cyrus, last night Olivia and I had a very long discussion that resulted in an argument. The short story is she packed her things and went back to her apartment. She left and isn't coming back."

Cyrus stood there utterly stunned at this revelation. He expected something bad. But not this. This explained why Fitz was up at the crack of dawn and why he was in a foul mood. These two were on again off again more often than he changed spouses. He wondered what the hell had caused the break up this time. He knew from experience there was always his side, her side, and the truth. He was determined to hear Fitz out, talk to Liv, and then get to the bottom of this situation, because neither one of them would tell him everything. Cyrus scrunched up his face and said, "What happened, Sir? You two were very Romeo and Juliet desperately in love with each other. Granted, she's been making my job a little more stressful marching around here in the Oval like she owns the damn place, shouting orders and making decisions on your behalf. But I assumed you were ok with that. I didn't know there was a problem. Let alone one big enough for you two to call it quits. She just has moved in here! What the hell happened?

Of course Cyrus wasn't going to make this easy in any way.


	2. Keep Your Head Up

Keep Your Head Up

To hear your love life summed up in a few sentences by a close friend is like a slap in the face. Fitz knew Cyrus wouldn't pull any punches but would get right to the heart of the matter. What had happened? It was such a blur to him. The chase between Fitz and Olivia lasted for years. They had perfected the art of the chase. Between late night phone calls laced with sexual innuendos and playful banter, running into each other at the White House sending secret smiles to each other, chasing her down a hall corridor with a specific purpose in mind, to seeing each other at public functions and trying desperately to keep it professional while at the same time looking around for an empty room. They had that shit down to a science. And they were together, really together, out in the light in front of everyone who wanted to look. That had lasted about 15 minutes before things turned sour. Why was it so difficult for them to just be together? Fitz didn't know the reason why, but he knew that was on Olivia. For whatever reason, she couldn't handle being out in the open with Fitz. While the chase lasted for years, the break up was so fast and painful.

"Sir?" Cyrus' annoyed face broke him out of his depressing thoughts.

"We need to figure out how to handle this situation. We need for the American people to forget about Olivia while keeping me from drowning in their hatred for 'making her go'. And we need to do it quickly. The more time that passes, while Americans think I am still happily dating her, it's going to make it more difficult for them to forgive me."

"Sir, if you think for one minute that the American people are going to forget about Olivia at all, you are mistaken. First of all, you are the first sitting President to have divorced his wife while in office. And before you were even publically divorced, you started dating another woman. A woman who, if I may, is of another race." Cyrus, noting that his boss wasn't yelling at him, decided it was safe for him to continue his rant of reason. "Many people have stood up and taken notice of this fiasco that is your private love life. And each person has made their internal decision as to how they will share it with their friends and family members. Some of them hate you for divorcing your wife of 20 years. After the whispers of infidelity had already been heard more than a few times. After you had a late in life baby. After your oldest son died. Then again, some of them still support you, God love them. They appreciate that you were honest about your dead marriage and handled it head on. That you knew that you wanted a fresh start. And that your new love interest has made you appear happier than they have seen you in a long time. They are praising you for bringing change. But the face of that change isn't you, Sir. It's Olivia Pope. And the people of this great nation are definitely never going to forget about her. As much as I hate to say it, the best thing for now, is to get her back in the White House and act like everything is fine between the two of you for a while. Then start having arguments and spend some time apart for the people to start noticing that this isn't working out. That there is indeed trouble in paradise. It's always best to ease the people into things rather than them seeing it come from nowhere."

Fitz had listened to Cyrus intently. He knew getting Olivia out of the public's mind would never come to pass for all the reasons Cyrus had listed and more. But he had to get her out of his. He was done with her running every time they had made the decision to finally be together. He was done with her anger that was always directed at him at the strangest times. Like when he went to war for her and she threw her ring at his face. He was done with the fact that she chose her father over him. He was done with the back and forth, feeling like a yo yo on a string that Olivia was holding onto. He was just done with her.

Fitz just needed to not cross paths with her until his broken heart could heal some. And while that seemed like a simple plan, in reality, she was everywhere. Since she worked in DC the chances of him running into her or seeing her somewhere were pretty high. But Fitz determined that once his heart got over the hurt, healing would come and he would finally let Olivia go for good. "Cyrus, I am NOT moving Olivia back into the White House! I tried to do that with Mellie for the same reasons and look where that got us. It's not happening! I have been very clear about wanting to be honest with the American people in regards to my private life, but no one listened. It's a new day and I am tired of not being heard. I will NOT move Olivia back into my house to placate anyone. I am putting my own damned happiness first for a change. Now, I need for you to set up a meeting with Olivia and discreetly find out what her plans are. I am going to move on without her and that would be so much easier to do if I knew where she'll be in the next few months so I can avoid seeing her. Do it under the guise of checking up on her. Whatever you need to tell yourself. Personally, I don't care. Just get it done. I know you made a mental plan to go and see her when I told you she left."

In fact, Cyrus had planned to go and see Liv that afternoon. He was glad she was out on her ass from the White House, but he did have a fondness for her and he wanted to make sure she was ok. Especially after the break up. So he'd go over to her place and gloat inwardly all the while act concerned about her on the outside. "I will let you know when what I find out after I have spoken to her. Thankfully you have a pretty light schedule this week due to the holidays but you don't have time to indulge in a pity party, Sir. Get in touch with your inner child, kick him in the ass, and get over this! We have a country to run."

Leave it to Cyrus to put things into perspective. Fitz didn't have time to be moping around the White House over a broken heart and more importantly, Olivia wasn't getting that much of his time and energy anymore. He was done. He'd chant it to himself as a reminder everyday if he had to. Fitz cut his eyes to his Chief of Staff and nodded his head. "Ok. Let's get to work."

The rest of Fitz's day was fairly uneventful. It was, as Cyrus had said, a relatively slow week. And Fitz was thankful for that. He was finishing up some paperwork that had to be taken care of before the New Year started when Lauren knocked on his door. "I'm sorry for interrupting Mr. President, but there is someone here to see you. Her name is Harper Phillips. She isn't on your schedule but that's my fault Sir. She called to schedule the meeting last week during your date night. And after playing interference on the phone for a few hours, I honestly forgot to add her to your schedule. I am so sorry Mr. President."

Fitz gave Lauren a withering look and she immediately regretted not telling Ms. Phillips the President had to re-schedule their meeting. Since he was caught up at the moment, Fitz told Lauren to send her in, but to interrupt the meeting if it lasted more than 15 minutes. The breath Lauren had been holding in came out all at once in a relieved sigh. "Yes Sir" she replied and walked out of the Oval. A few seconds later she re-appeared and introduced Ms. Phillips to the President.

Fitz smiled and shook her hand as he took in her appearance. She looked to be in her 30's and was wearing a navy blue dress and heels. He guessed she was about 5 foot 8 without the added height of the shoes. Her wavy blonde hair fell just past her shoulders. She had hazel eyes that looked like the color of wet moss after a summer rain. She had a great smile and was currently directing it at him while enthusiastically shaking his hand. His own smile got wider and he didn't understand why. "Have a seat Mrs. Phillips." Fitz directed her to one of the sofas in the Oval Office.

She took the offered seat while the President sat on the couch opposite her. "Actually, it's Miss, Mr. President. Although I'm sure it's in poor taste to correct the President of the United States while in his office. And please, call me Harper."

Fitz laughed for the first time in a long time and replied, "Actually, I have people in and out of here daily correcting me on all matter of things. Please think nothing of it. And thank you. So, Harper, what can I help you with?"

Harper started mindlessly tapping her foot on the floor in a steady rhythm. She was nervous to tell him why she was here. This could end very badly. With a 'it's now or nothing' feeling in the pit of her stomach she stopped the foot tapping, smiled at him, and said, "Sir, may I ask you a personal question?"


	3. Some Things Never Change

Some Things Never Change

Fitz knit his brow and brought his left index finger up to his lips in thought. "Have we met before? You look vaguely familiar."

Harper smiled politely. Nicely played Mr. President she thought. She was mentally kicking herself for starting the conversation off with asking him to answer a personal question anyways. He just smoothly avoided it while unknowingly sparing her some embarrassment. "You may have seen me in the news lately. I wrote a book about school nutrition and it's getting a lot of buzz from the major outlets. I've been on some of the political talk shows recently too."

The smile on his face was genuine. "Yes, that's it! His face went from sheer joy to utter confusion. "Wait! You're the author of What Are You Eating? That book has been talked about a lot here. I thought someone much older would have written it." After realizing that he had just insulted her, his eyes grew wide as saucers. "I'm so sorry! That came out all her, his eyes grew wide as saucers. "I'm so sorry! That came out all wrong!"

Harper was enjoying the show of watching the President back pedal an apology to her and laughed loudly at his expense. After he re-gained his composure, she smiled at him and said, "It's ok, Mr. President. I hear that a lot. It's usually the first thing an interviewer will say to me. Although maybe not in those exact words." She chuckled at the sight of him squirming slightly.

"I didn't mean to insult you in any way Ms. Phillips. I do apologize." Fitz said straight faced.

Harper sat up even straighter, laced her fingers together on her lap, and put on her best poker face. "Since we are back to Ms. Phillips, I'll try to make this meeting a lot more professional."

Fitz chuckled at her antics and said, "I just keep sticking my foot in my mouth with you. I'm sorry, Harper. Other than being a successful author, please tell me more about yourself. Where are you from originally?"

She had to admit there was something very likeable about him. Harper felt herself feeling as if they had known each other for years. He didn't seem to be asking in the polite way most people of authority did, but a genuinely interested kind of way. It warmed her to him even more, even though they were, for all intents and purposes, strangers. He already felt like an old friend. "Well, my family is originally from Georgia. I was raised in the small town of Douglasville. It was a small town when I grew up there. Now it's a thriving city with businesses everywhere. It's hardly recognizable anymore. My father was a fireman for the City of Atlanta, but has retired from it about ten years ago. My mother was a cafeteria worker at a local high school for over twenty years. She is also retired now. They spend their time at home together. It's all very mundane to be honest, but it's how they are happy and that's all that matters to them."

"That all sounds very nice. A happy quiet life lived out with the person you love." Fitz looked away from her and tried to shove the hurt that had bubbled up to the surface back down somewhere deep. He remembered his mantra, I am done, and repeated it in his head a few times before returning his gaze to Harper. He was enjoying their conversation and wanted it to continue. She was an interesting person and a very good distraction from the things that could be invading his mind right now if left to himself. "Do you have any siblings? Nieces or nephews to brag about?"

Harper could tell something was not quite right with the President, but didn't know what it was. She almost reached her hand out to touch his arm, but thought that would be inappropriate and refrained from doing so. "I have an older brother, Patrick. He's in the military. He's been married to Yvonne for forever and they have a son. His name is Jackson and he is 9. The three of them live in Guam so I don't see them very often."

Just then a soft knock was heard at the door right before Lauren poked her head in his office. "Mr. President. You have that meeting with the Governor of Wyoming in five minutes." She knew it was a lame excuse, but hoped it came out sincere. Fitz looked up at her quizzically. He had no recollection of a meeting with the Governor today. Lauren raised her eyebrows at him trying to mentally tell him this was her way of breaking up their meeting, as earlier requested by him.

Harper looked at him and said, "I am so sorry for taking up so much of your valuable time talking about such mundane things, Mr. President. We can re-schedule for a day that is more suitable for you." She started to rise from her seat, as did Fitz.

He no longer wanted Lauren in his office. He didn't much care if the state of Wyoming was on fire at the moment. He needed some normal and felt a meeting with this woman was a good start. "Please, sit back down Harper. It's nothing urgent, I assure you. Lauren, give William a call and let him know I will talk with him next week; after New Years." Lauren exited the Oval as quietly as she entered.

"I apologize for the interruption Ms...Harper" he said, catching himself as he grinned. "You mentioned that your mother worked in school nutrition for a number of years. Is that where you got your passion for the subject of your book?"

Harper marveled at how he never skipped a beat. He was actually listening to her ramble on about her life. That was...refreshing. "Yes, it is actually. She would come home from work and tell us of the foods she had to work with to create meals for the students at her school. The meals weren't all bad, and school nutrition has come a long way from when I was in school, but there is always room for improvement. And that's why I wrote the book. It details the changes in children's dietary needs as well as the strict guidelines laid down by the government. And how those two need to work hand in hand. For the time being as well as the future. So we can use the cafeteria to feed their bodies as well as teach the students about good nutrition."

"Wow. You really do have a heart for the topic. It's evident when you talk about it. Is that why you scheduled this meeting with me?" he asked.

Harper was taken aback momentarily as she knit her brow and said, "Mr. President, your office scheduled this meeting with me."

The look on Fitz's face mirrored hers in confusion. "Pardon me? I think you must be mistaken. My secretary told me you scheduled this meeting two days ago."

"I don't know why she told you that, Sir. I am here to discuss with you my thoughts on school nutrition but I did not set up this meeting. I got a call from someone at the White House late last week requesting my presence in a meeting with you. I assumed you arranged it, or at the very least knew about it." Both of them were very quiet in their uncomfortable confusion.

Fitz was the first to speak. "You said you got a call from the White House? Did he or she leave their name with your office when they called?" He had a sinking feeling of where this particular meeting had originated, but held out hope it wasn't a particular control freak who had the audacity to schedule a meeting with a stranger on his behalf.

Harper reached into her purse and retrieved her cell phone. After scrolling through her daily planner, she found what she was looking for and smiled. She walked over to the couch Fitz was sitting on and sat down beside him. She showed him her phone display as she said, "Someone named Ethan called my office from the White House. I wasn't given his last name, Sir. That sounds very cloak and dagger, I know, but it's the truth. It's all very bizarre don't you think?"

Fitz was fuming on the inside, but kept his face calm. He knew Ethan hadn't set this meeting up on his own. He was Cyrus' aide. He did as he was told. Cyrus was the one who orchestrated this. But why? Well, they would be having a lengthy talk about that very soon. And to remind Cyrus of his place. "This is the White House. Bizarre is the norm most days." Fitz had planned on ending the meeting and finding Cyrus, but then thought better of it as a wicked thought came into his mind. He looked into her green eyes and asked, "How is your sense of adventure, Harper? By that, I mean, do you have a fun devious side?"

Harper wasn't understanding what he was asking until she saw his evil grin and read between the lines. She replied with an evil grin of her own and said, "Mr. President, I am from the South. Devious is my middle name! I'm fairly certain I know what you are up to and you have my full support. I believe this is going to make my whole day." She was giggling and clapping enthusiastically as Fitz chuckled and walked over to the Resolute desk. He picked up the phone and asked Lauren to have Ethan in his office within the next five minutes.

While they anxiously waited for Ethan to arrive, they happily plotted. Harper almost caved a few times thinking Ethan was really going to be kept on his toes during their meeting. But seeing the President so giddy with excitement over doing it she decided Ethan must be deserving of such treatment. That and she didn't want to see the sadness on the President's face like earlier. As the minutes drew on they had to keep shushing each other, stifling their laughter, knowing Ethan would be coming in soon. They placed a non-monetary bet on the outcome with Ethan and shook hands. There was a knock on the door and before Fitz called out "Come in" from his seat on the couch, both he and Harper ceased all laughter and put on straight faces.


	4. Chapter 4

******AUTHOR'S NOTE******

 **Sorry! This isn't an update! But I will be posting a new chapter before the weekend! I just wanted to say a few things.**

 **First of all, this is my very first chapter story so please bear with me. I did write a Terry one shot but that isn't everyone's cup of tea. To be honest, I really don't think it's mine either, but for me, at the time, it was easier to write about real people than fake ones. I'm still learning some things about this website and have trouble posting my chapters. Sometimes it takes a while. I'm just your average overly obsessed Scandal fan with too much love for Tony/Fitz. I can't even say that with a straight face. You can never love Tony/Fitz too much!**

 **Anyways, from the comments I've been getting, I realize that I didn't set my story up very good before I wrote it. That goes back to my lack of understand of how these things work. My apologies for any confusion. I am slowly learning. Some of you have asked if this is a story without Olivia. It's looking that way. She will make an appearance here and there but that's about it. Personally, I am over her running all the time and that's why I wrote it in my story. I hate it when she does that to him. And I'm ready for Fitz to move on with someone else. Harper may or may not be that person. Although she is shaping up to be a good match for him. I like her. I do have a purpose and a plan for her, but I can't tell you what it is yet. She will not be a bad person. She is the way she is written.**

 **For everyone who has read and commented on my story, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I appreciate you more than you know. It's very encouraging to get feedback. That's another thing I am learning. I have read tons of Scandal fanfic stories and rarely leave a comment. But now I know the importance of realizing if the author is anything remotely interesting or not I will start reviewing every one I read.**

 **This is how I am going to spend my hiatus time. Writing a fun story that I would want to see happen on the show. I am going to watch Scandal in February. I might have a broken heart for Fitz, but I am going to watch it. Again, I appreciate everyone who is hanging in there with me to see what happens. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. I'll try to keep these author's notes to a minimum, because nothing is more annoying than thinking a new chapter has been posted only to read the author blathering away. Just a warning that the next chapter is pretty long. And I'm sorry the meeting between Fitz & Harper lasted 3 chapters. I got a little excited LOL**

 **Until next time...**


	5. All Bets Are Off

All Bets Are Off

Before Ethan walked in the door he took a deep breath. He had never been summoned to the Oval Office before and he equaled it to being called into the principals office in school. That was one place he avoided at all costs. This was another one. But here he was. He saw the back of a female head sitting on the couch facing away from the door, but he didn't know who it was or why the President requested him to interrupt a meeting he was already currently having.

This is bad.

The President ushered Ethan in and offered him to take a seat at the plush chair near the sofas. As Ethan walked over to take his seat, the woman stood and offered her right hand. The moment Ethan saw her face his registered shock before he quickly covered it with his mask of politeness.

This is real bad.

"Nice to meet you ma'am. My name is Ethan." Harper shook his hand without speaking a word and smiled at him. After about thirty seconds had passed, Ethan looked from her to the President wondering why she wasn't introducing herself to him. He let go of her hand and sat down hastily. When he noticed she was still standing alongside the President, Ethan stood back up just as quickly. He looked at Harper and said, "I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't catch your name."

Harper looked at Ethan with a blank expression on her face not speaking. This was going to be too easy she thought to herself. This kid is a bundle of nerves and we haven't even gotten to the fun part. The President cleared his throat and Ethan gave his attention to the man in charge. "Ethan, this is Mrs. Bloomberg..."

What the hell?! That's not her name! Ethan kept his eyes on the President but was fidgeting.

"She's with the National Department of Justice. It's been brought to her attention that someone in the White House has been tampering with official White House documents. Namely, my schedule. She is here to find out who it is and put a stop to it. It's a crime punishable by fifteen years in federal prison."

Shit! I'm going to prison! I'm too young and good looking to go to prison. Ethan thought he heard a chuckle, but when he looked over, he saw Mrs. Whatever the hell her name is, cough into her hand. Ethan wondered where Cyrus was right now. Cyrus would save him. He only arranged to have this woman put on the President's schedule because his boss told him to arrange it. Why did he listen to that old man anyways? Ethan didn't know what to say or do. He looked up at the President and said as honestly and calmly as he could muster, "Sir, how exactly does this pertain to me, if I may ask?"

In his nervousness, Ethan missed the moment the President looked at Harper and raised his eyebrows for her smothered laugh, but she didn't. She would have to get serious about this game. She was determined to get this guy to roll on his boss. "Ethan," she began. "The reason you have been called into this meeting is we have reason to believe you or your boss, Cyrus Beene, has something to do with all of this. Have you seen him near the Presidents secretary's computer? Or has he told you anything in

confidence about making changes to the President's schedule without the President's knowledge to do so? Have you yourself done either of those things? And don't bother trying to lie to me. I WILL find out the truth. As the President said, this crime is punishable by prison time. So don't waste any more of my time or the President's time and tell us what we need to know. NOW."

Fitz had to hand it to Harper. She sounded legit. And determined. And like a real hard ass. Hell, If Fitz didn't know her any better, he would have told her almost anything. But there was no way this kid was ever gonna give up Cyrus. He was too loyal and scared. He could practically taste victory. Wipe the smile off your face, dumbass he chided himself. "Ethan, I don't for a minute think that Cyrus had anything to do with this, but we do need answers. So if you know anything, now is the time to tell us. Whatever it is. I really need to wrap this up quickly and quietly. You understand."

Ethan was utterly confused. He had no idea what the hell was going on in this room right now. In his mind he went over the things he was absolutely sure about. He knew her accurate name, as well as her occupation. He knew that Cyrus changed the President's schedule all the damn time without asking for anyone's permission because he was the President's Chief of Staff and therefore felt entitled to do so. And he absolutely knew that one of them laughed a few minutes ago.

As the President and Ms. Phillips stood over him he came to the realization that they were up to something. He just didn't know what exactly. Three can play that game he thought. Choosing his words very carefully, Ethan said, "Mr. President, there is something you should absolutely know. And I don't exactly know how to tell you, Sir."

"Just tell us the truth Ethan and everything will go so much smoother for you. We will take your willingness to be honest and up front with us into consideration, depending on what you tell us" Harper stated with all the hard authority in her voice she could muster. This needed to end soon. She could feel herself cracking under the pressure of being mean to this kid. She really felt bad for him. And the stakes of the bet weren't high enough to warrant this kind of treatment to a stranger.

Fitz almost ended the game right there. He didn't want Ethan spilling his guts about the inner workings of his Chief of Staff's office to Harper. She had zero clearance to hear such things. But he was, if nothing else, a fierce competitor. As much as he felt bad for doing this to Ethan, he knew Harper was going to lose. And that made it worth it. Besides, Ethan knew better. "What have you got to say, Ethan? Be honest."

Ethan folded his arms across his chest and smiled. He took a moment to savor this because he could very well end up unemployed in five minutes. But he didn't think that would be the outcome. "First of all, Sir, this woman's name is Harper Phillips. She is an author and doesn't in fact work for the DOJ and never has." Ethan glanced over at Harper and added, "No disrespect intended ma'am." He then took a deep breath and prayed he was doing the right thing. "I have never changed your schedule Mr. President. I wouldn't know how to do that. I've never even looked at your secretary's computer. But my boss, Cyrus Beene, your Chief of Staff, changes your schedule practically on a daily basis. But I think you already knew this information. If this is some kind of test to see where my loyalties lie, I can assure you I

will not tell anyone anything I am not authorized to. Especially in the presence of a civilian, which she most definitely is."

He looked at the President's face and saw him grinning widely. Actually, he looked on the verge of laughter. When he looked at Ms. Phillips, her face was in a small pout. The two shook hands with a bit of reluctance on Ms. Phillips side. What the hell was going on? Then the strangest thing happened. The President of the Unites States slapped him on the back and said "that is exactly what I thought you would say, Ethan. I appreciate your loyalty to your boss and to this office." Fitz's face went serious for a moment as he continued. "The fact is though, Ethan, you set up this meeting between myself and Ms. Phillips and we both want to know why?"

The sinking feeling returned to the pit of Ethan's stomach. He was going to have to answer this one. But not before he tried one more time to weasel out of it. Ethan felt disdain for Cyrus at that moment. Leaving him here to clean up another mess was exhausting. It was a good thing Ethan loved his job. He put on his best confused face and said, "Sir?"

"Ethan, please don't. You left your name when you called her office, so we know it was you. Tell us the truth RIGHT NOW!" Fitz said loudly.

Ethan was screwed. He'd been yelled at by Cyrus most days, and while he didn't particularly like it, being yelled at by the President was a lot scarier. Whatever light heartedness had filled the room earlier, was now long gone. He felt both pairs of eyes focused intently on him. So Ethan told them what he knew. "Yes, Sir. Mr. Beene asked me to schedule a meeting between the two of you to discuss Ms. Phillip's book. His hope is that you, Mr. President, will get excited about her ideas about school nutrition and will soon help pass a bill that the Senator from North Carolina is talking up that deals with that very same topic."

If Ethan had grown another head, that would have made more sense to Fitz at that moment. This made no sense. Why would Cyrus care about a school nutrition bill enough to set this meeting up? There was more to it. Fitz was absolutely sure of that. Something underhanded, secretive, and definitely something Cyrus was hiding from him. Fitz didn't really think Ethan knew much more than he had shared, so he let it go. To deal with a weed, you go to the root. "Thank you for telling me what you know, Ethan. I want you to listen to me very carefully. None of this gets back to Cyrus. You were never in the Oval Office. I never spoke with you today. And you never met Ms. Phillips. Do you understand?"

Ethan nodded and gave a meek "Yes, Sir."

"Go back to your office and continue working on whatever you were doing before I called you in here. I appreciate your honesty."

Harper moved to shake Ethan's hand. "It was very nice to meet you Ethan. I'm sorry I was ugly to you. But you'll be glad to know you proved yourself a trustworthy employee. You should really be proud of yourself. I hope you'll forgive me." Ethan shook her hand, smiled at her, and quickly left the room.

"Well, that was interesting. Nice kid. Made of much sterner stuff than I thought" Harper smiled at him. "I think I should go though. It seems you have meetings to go to and heads to roll back into line. I would very much like to have a legitimate meeting with you to discuss my book and all of these changes you are planning to bring forth to help pass this bill." Harper was laughing as she gathered her purse.

Fitz knew a smartass when he heard one. He appreciated her quick wit but also knew he was happily about to change her good mood. "Before you leave, Harper, there is the issue of the bet. I don't think you suffer from short term memory loss, so you know just as well as I do that you lost. You tried though," he said with a smirk. "When would you like to pay up?"

Harper shook her head back and forth while chuckling. There was more to the President than met the eye. She met his happy gaze with a smile of her own. "OK, Mr. President. A bets a bet. And any good southern woman can admit it when she loses one. Your schedule is far busier than mine. When would you like to collect?"

Fitz was enjoying this immensely. He loved winning. It didn't really matter what the contest was, winning just felt good. "I appreciate the fact that you can admit loss. It really does make this victory all the more sweet for me. You're right, a bets a bet. And since you lost, as I knew you would, I think it should be on my terms. Don't you agree?" His smile was ridiculously big. "Of course you do. You owe me a home made southern dinner. I'm reallllly looking forward to some good home cooking. You can cook, right?"

Harper was laughing along with him now. He was being an ass about winning. Such a happy winner. This would have to be done soon so she wouldn't have to listen to his gloating longer than necessary. "How about one day next week? After New Years? And we can discuss the book during dinner. Kill two birds with one stone?"

"Sounds good to me. I can't hardly wait" he laughed. She really was pretty. And easy to talk to. It felt like they had been friends for a long time. "Let Lauren know which day is good for you and I'll do my best to make myself available. I'm really glad to have met you, Harper. It was a very productive meeting." He shook her hand as they made their way to the door.

Right before Harper opened the door, she said, "It's a good thing you didn't lose the bet Mr. President. I would have kicked your ass at fencing." And with that she walked out of the Oval Office


	6. Schedule of Events

Schedule of Events

She heard someone at the door and looked out the peep hole. It was Cyrus. What the hell does he want, she asked herself? She hadn't planned on seeing him or anyone else from Sixteen Hundred Pennsylvania Avenue for a long time. He looked at his phone for a second before stuffing it into his pocket. He looked antsy. She couldn't blame him for that. Seeing him outside her door made her feel the same way. There was an internal struggle raging in her mind. To open the door or act like she wasn't home and ignore it. She had no idea as to why he would be on her doorstep, but her curiosity was peaked enough to find out. This would probably be a mistake. She came up with a getaway excuse as she put on her full Olivia Pope armor. No smiles. All business. Tough as nails. On the outside anyway.

Cyrus was knocking on the door of Olivia's apartment. He heard his phone ring and glanced at the face of it. The President was calling him. It was the second time his boss had tried to contact him in the past hour. He turned the phone on vibrate as Olivia opened the door. Cyrus popped his head up, took in her appearance, and said in his best sing song voice, "Liiiiiv!"

Olivia stood in the doorway and looked at her friend. He looked tired and rumpled. But there was an edge of excitement underneath it. He knew. He knew about the situation between her and Fitz and he was happy about it. Well, if he had come to gloat he had chosen a bad day to do so. She was in no mood for it. She was still mentally recovering from what she had done. It hurt more than she was willing to admit. But the thought of Cyrus checking up op on her, on behalf of the President, pushed her to put on her best smile. "Cyrus. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?"

"Can't an old friend come for a visit once in a while? I needed to escape the White House for a bit and hoped to catch you at home." He peered over her shoulder trying to get a look into her apartment and said, "Are you busy?"

Olivia hated butting heads with Cyrus at the White House, but truly enjoyed spending time with him away from the craziness of it. She missed her friend but still wasn't sure at what capacity he was here so she played it cautiously. "I'm about to head out actually. I have a meeting in a few hours and I need to catch up on some things at OPA before she arrives."

Cyrus swatted his hand in the air as if to say 'this won't take long' and gave her his best smile. "I just need a few minutes of your time. Don't make me go back to work yet. Be a friend!"

Olivia stepped back from the doorway and ushered him in. She was giving him approximately thirty minutes before she kicked him out. She wasn't due at OPA for a few more hours, but she wasn't telling him that. "I know you didn't come by here to shoot the breeze, Cyrus. That's not the kind of man you are. You don't have time to shoot the breeze. And when you do have some free time, anything you do relates to the White House in some way. You are here with a purpose and probably a plan. And both will ultimately, most likely, benefit you. So go ahead and spill it. Why are you really here?"

The smile that had been on her face was gone. She had her arms crossed across her chest and the no nonsense look on her face. Did she have the audacity to look annoyed? This would be quick, but not

altogether painless for Liv, Cyrus thought to himself. She needed a wake up call. And Cyrus was too happy to deliver it. "Liv, I'm not going to mince words but get right to the point. There's no reason to waste your time or mine here. We both have things to do today. I want to know what your schedule looks like for the next few months. The President has spoken to me about what transpired between the two of you and he would very much like to not see you for a while." It was petty, but Cyrus looked in her eyes and smiled.

Olivia, on the other hand, felt like there wasn't enough air in her apartment. The brave façade she had put on for Cyrus had slipped some. She expected Fitz to be the reason Cyrus was in her home, but this was bigger than she expected. He didn't want to see her. She let those words wash over her. He had every reason to not want to see her. The way she ended things and left the White House after being in love with him for five years was enough for Fitz to not want to see her. If he ever found out about the abortion, it would push him over the edge to hating her. And she wouldn't blame him.

"You want to look at my schedule?" she said in disbelief. "You want to make sure we aren't at the same functions to avoid any awkwardness. Is that it? And why would I cooperate with this plan, Cyrus? We are adults. We both have social lives that cannot be altered because we are no longer together. That is just ludicrous!" Inside she was shaking uncontrollably. Fitz was really pissed at her. To not want to see her at all was probably for the best for both of them, but to hear the words spoken out loud was another thing altogether.

Cyrus knew this information would hit her hard, but it was a necessary evil that needed to be handled. He knew the bandage needed to be ripped off quickly with Olivia. She would appreciate that more than dancing around the issue. It's how she handled her own business with clients. Cyrus knew it was too soon to be asking this of her, but it needed to be dealt with quickly and quietly to avoid any further problems for all parties involved. When all was said and done, he served at the pleasure of the President. And that is who he was trying to protect the most. "Liv, you know as well as I do, that you really don't want to see him either. As many ups and downs the two of you have been through over the years, you know how Fitz is when he has set his mind on something. He's not going to back down on this. He's hurting. And you're the one who hurt him. He can't see you for a while. It's going to be too difficult for him to see you out and it not bring up all the feelings he has running through his mind and heart. I know you feel the same way. Just like I know you have your brave face on right now but are feeling less brave on the inside." he gave her a small smile and continued. "We need to handle this his way. And if you look past your hurt feelings and pride, you will see that it's for the best."

She knew he was right. She wasn't really interested in seeing Fitz either. She wouldn't be able to face him for a while. It would be too painful. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Olivia left the room and returned with her cell phone. She offered Cyrus a seat on her new couch as she scrolled through her calendar. "You finally got a new couch? It was time to get rid of the old one, Liv. I'm glad you finally got it out of here. There's no need to look at a symbol of a bad memory everyday." He sat down and ran his hand over the buttery smooth leather. " I like it."

She called off some events where she thought the possibility of running into the President could happen. Cyrus jotted everything down dutifully, asked a random question when necessary, and otherwise kept his mouth shut. When they had reached the month of June, Cyrus hoped enough time had passed by then that they would both be over the other one. There were only a handful of events that could cause a problem for the pair of adults, but Olivia said she would avoid going to those events altogether. She was aiding a broken heart, he knew, but she was being very cavalier about the situation. She was a social creature and had to be because of who she was and where she worked. He expected a lot more Olivia Pope-ing about not missing some of these events. More of a fight. She just seemed to be defeated. She was giving up too much too easily for his liking. Something was definitely up. He would take his time and discreetly inquire about her last few weeks at the White House.

After the last spring event dates were double checked, Cyrus stood. "Liv, I know this isn't how you planned on spending your time today, but I appreciate it. Neither of you want to see the other one for a while, so it's in the best interest of both of you to get the uncomfortable part out of the way so you can both start healing." He touched her shoulder and continued. "It's for the best."

"Thanks for running interference for the both of us, Cyrus. Thinking ahead like this is a really good idea so we can just avoid each other for a while. It's for the best really." Although it didn't feel like the best idea. She missed Fitz. Some part of her would probably always miss him. But she had made a big decision without telling Fitz about any of it. For all their talk about babies, she just wasn't ready to be a mother. And he was still the President of the United States. The scandal of a recently divorced and sitting President having a baby out of wedlock was bigger than the both of them. She had gone through all the possible scenarios in her mind, but that one fact was what had brought her to the sad reality that it was the right decision to have the abortion and walk away. Starting the fight in their bedroom and making him feel like shit before she left was her way of making him hate her so she could walk away a little easier. Well, that had worked like a charm. She was now living alone. With her guilt over all of it. The abortion. The fight. The sad look on his perfect face. The walking away, again.

"...Liv?" She faintly heard over the rambling in her head. "Liv!" Cyrus said a little more forcefully.

She blinked a few times and looked at him. "Sorry. I was thinking about my appointment this afternoon. I really need to get going so I can prep for it. Do you have everything you need, Cyrus?"

Her friend just eyed her for a while. He slowly nodded his head and said, "This should do it." He got up off the couch and walked to her door as Olivia followed him. He turned the knob, looked over his shoulder to her, and added, "If you ever want to split a bottle of wine, give me a call. We haven't done that in a while and it would be nice to just sit and talk." He gave her a genuine smile and got one back as a reply.

Once Cyrus was settled in the back seat of his waiting car, he returned the phone call to the President.


	7. You Make Me Smile

**I apologize for the last chapter** **in that I didn't really want to speak for Olivia.** **However, I felt it needed to be settled instead of skimmed over and assumed. I hated writing it as much as you probably hated reading it. But it needed to be done.**

 **I also realized that when I posted the author's note a while back, I failed to mention that I love Olitz as much as y'all do. When they have their ish together it is magic and powerful and just everything. But I haven't been** **a fan of Olivias for a while now. And it wasn't just the winter finale. When she threw doux bebe ring in Fitz's face, I lost a lot of respect for her.** **And in my mind, I want Fitz to just let go of her. Even if it's for a while (on the show) and move on with someone else. He deserves to be truly happy & loved instead of being a yoyo at the whim of her feelings. So, for anyone still hanging with me, thank you. This is a longer chapter than the others...**

Fitz woke up early. He looked over at the clock beside his huge bed. His huge empty bed. The realization that his bed was indeed empty was getting a little easier with each passing day. But it was still a thought that went through his mind every time he opened his eyes in the morning. He wondered when it wouldn't be. It had been two weeks since she left. He felt a small stab of pain and then annoyance. Pain that she had left. And annoyance that thoughts of her still came to him. He didn't want to think about her. He tried to clear his mind. It was only 5 in the morning. Too early to get up he thought. He bent his bare arm and put his hand under his head as he stared at the ceiling. His mind drifted to thoughts of Harper and he welcomed the pleasant diversion.

He caught himself thinking of her often the last few days. She seemed to sneak into his thoughts at the most random times. Fitz thought of her while he was in meetings. Whenever he saw Ethan at the White House he avoided eye contact with him, silently snickered, and thought of her. And in the evenings, when he went back into the residence to eat, he thought of her. He wondered why she hadn't reached out to his office with a date for his victory dinner. THAT thought brought a huge smile to his face. He recalled the look on her face when she knew she had lost their bet. At 5 am the President was alone in his bed and laughing loudly. Harper was a sore loser. That was a fact he was going to keep in mind for future bets, if there were any. But she had one of the cutest pouts too. He was going to keep that in mind as well. That home cooked southern dinner was going to be amazing. He could hardly wait. He couldn't wait to spend more time with Harper either. To enjoy a little bit of normal. And, truth be told, to rub her face in her loss a little too. He was grinning widely as he reluctantly dragged his lean body out of the warmth of his bed and into the shower. Might as well get the day started.

After eating breakfast, reading the morning papers, and being caught up on all things deemed noteworthy by Cyrus, the President sat at the Resolute desk looking over a large stack of papers that required his attention. One of those items was information about the school nutrition bill by the Senator from North Carolina. Fitz was still trying to figure out how to best deal with that situation and how Cyrus came to be involved in it. He was getting all the information on the bill before he invited his Chief of Staff into his office to get to the bottom of the entire situation. He knew there was more to it. There was no way in hell Cyrus was remotely interested in school nutrition. Or a bill that revolved around it. Fitz knew Cy had his own agenda mixed in there somewhere. He always did.

Thinking about the school nutrition bill brought his thoughts back to Harper. He wondered what she was doing today. Fitz sat at his desk with a dumb smile on his face like a daydreaming middle schooler. He had the urge to talk to her, decided he was a grown ass man as well as the President, and buzzed Lauren. "Call Harper Phillips for me please, Lauren." He put the phone back down and waited for his phone to buzz, alerting him that she was on the line. He glanced back at the papers on his desk and pretended to work as he waited. That was a waste of time. He had read the first sentence three times and still had no idea what it said. He dropped the piece of paper back onto the stack and noticed his hands were sweaty. 'Get it together man' he whispered to himself. He stared at the phone willing it to buzz.

She probably wasn't at her office yet. It was only 8 am. Maybe she was a late sleeper. Maybe she had a late night business meeting and was sleeping in. Maybe she had a date last night and is cooking him breakfast right now. Yea, he could see that. She was making him some fabulous southern breakfast while wearing his t-shirt. Some stupid shirt that had one of those ridiculous sarcastic sayings on the front of it. Fitz made a face, rolled his eyes, and began to think this phone call was a bad idea. She was a busy woman with a life of her own. Hell, in his mind he had her dating an imbecile with a tacky wardrobe. Please let it be a late night business meeting and not some redneck for sex and breakfast, he thought.

Just then his phone buzzed. The President of the United States, whose word could start wars, was nervous. Why did he have to get big, bad, and ballsy and call her? He decided he was an idiot. His phone continued to buzz and he continued to look at it without picking it up. He had to answer it or he would look like a fool. He hesitantly picked up the phone and said "Hello?"

"Good morning, Mr. President. What do I owe the honor of a phone call from our fearless leader this morning?" Harper chirped.

Fearless? If only she knew, Fitz thought as he shook his head. He could hear the smile in her voice and it warmed him to his core. Gone were all doubts and worries that had been running rampantly through his head moments before. He felt so much more at ease listening to her southern lilt address him. "Good morning, Harper. I hope I didn't catch you at a busy time?"

Harper looked around her office. Instead of the normal phones ringing and people talking ninety miles an hour, it was relatively quiet. She loved quiet days. It gave her a chance to catch up on her paperwork; which was what she had been doing when her phone rang. "Not at all, Mr. President. I've been in the office for a few hours now. Just playing catch up on some things I haven't been able to give time to since before the holidays."

"So is that your fancy way of saying you are sitting in your office doing paperwork?" Fitz chuckled.

"Well, Mr. President, your day must not be very full either to be making random phone calls to citizens of this fine nation," Harper shot back.

"As a matter of fact, Mizz Phillips, I too, am playing catch up on things that I haven't been able to tackle since the holidays started." He heard her laughing through the receiver and joined in with his own. Feeling bold he asked, "I understand paperwork is a necessary evil, but would you like to join me for lunch today?" He held his breath waiting for an answer.

Harper waited a beat and asked, "Where did you have in mind? I know you are a very important man, so you can't exactly go traipsing around DC for lunch on a whim."

"You are right about that. Making reservations is kind of a nightmare for me. Although you'd be surprised how fast Secret Service can clear out a restaurant." A thought popped into his mind and he decide to go with it. "What do you think about having a picnic in the Oval Office? Nothing fancy. Just lunch. It would be nice to see you again." He could feel his confidence growing the more he talked to her.

"May I speak freely?" Once he granted permission, Harper continued. "Is that a good idea? It's a lovely thought. And I really want to say yes. But, why would you ask me to join you for a picnic in your office knowing you are not an available man? I apologize for being so outspoken, Mr. President. While I thoroughly enjoy your company, I'm not a poacher. And I don't think Ms. Pope would appreciate it either."

Fitz knew this conversation with Harper was coming. And he was ready to get it over with and behind him. "Harper, all kidding aside, I am not asking you to do anything unethical or anything that goes against girl code. I appreciate that you are an upstanding woman with values and that you are making sure no lines are inappropriately crossed. There aren't enough people like that in the world. Please come and allow me the opportunity to explain everything to you. I promise there isn't anything underhanded planned. We can eat at a table if that would make you feel better."

It was unbearably quiet on the line for what seemed like forever. Fitz thought he had pushed too hard or said too much and that Harper had hung up the phone. And then he heard her voice suspiciously say, "How do you know about girl code?"

Fitz dissolved into a fit of laughter. Of all the things he had just told her, that was the thing that she was the most curious about? There was no screaming. No arguing. Harper hadn't hung up him and run away in fear of what had been said. Fitz let the wonder of that sink in once the laughter eased up. Smiling widely, Fitz put his feet up on his desk and said, "I have a teenage daughter. I know alllll about girl code, Miss. Phillips."

Harper had already decided to go to lunch. She had a feeling something was not quite right in the Grant-Pope paradise, but he had just confirmed it. And he had convinced her that their picnic lunch wasn't going to be a problem for anyone else. He seemed ready to talk about it with her. She enjoyed talking to him and spending time with him too. She was in. "What is on the menu for lunch, Mr. President? My reply really does depend on the answer to that very important question."

Fitz hadn't really thought about that. His biggest hurdle was asking her to join him for lunch. "What would you like for lunch? Do you have any food allergies? Are you a vegetarian? We can have whatever you want. The sky is the limit."

"Food allergies and vegetarian, no to both. I'm a foodie so I'll try just about anything. I pretty much have to be with the line of work I'm in. Why don't you surprise me?" she teased. "And what time shall I arrive?"

Fitz looked at the clock and then looked at his schedule. He had nothing from noon to two so he asked if she could be at the White House by 11:45. They ended the call and then he phoned the kitchen. He made his specific request for their lunch menu and told them what time to deliver it to the Oval Office. Fitz then buzzed Lauren and informed her of his lunch plans and that it wasn't to be discussed with anyone else. He asked her to bring Harper in through another door so she wouldn't be spotted by the rest of the staff. He then started plowing through the paperwork that was still piled up on his desk. He had a lot to accomplish before noon, but he couldn't think of a better way to spend a few hours of his afternoon afterwards.

Some time around 11:30 there was a knock on the Oval Office door. Before Fitz could say 'come in', Cyrus entered with a file in his hands. Fitz looked up at the older man from his now, much smaller pile of papers. "It seems your morning has been very productive, Mr. President. You had a much bigger stack on your desk this morning. It's good to have the holidays behind us and get back to the grind stone."

"It helps to have some motivation too, Cy" Fitz stated with a small smile. "What can I do for you?"

Cyrus knit his brow and studied the President's face. Why the hell was he smiling? He had been miserable for weeks. Whatever the reason, Cyrus was thankful it had shaken his boss out of his funk. "I just stopped by to let you know you have a two hour gap in your schedule after lunch and thought we could push your meeting with the planner up an hour. He's available and we have got to get everything in place for the event two weeks from tomorrow. There are a lot of details that need to be gone over by you. Now that...Mellie is gone, you are your own First Lady." Fitz shot him a withering look but Cyrus paid no attention to it and continued on talking like he hadn't seen it. "What I mean, Sir, is that this is new territory. You don't have anyone to fulfill the duties of the First Lady. So you are going to have to make the decisions that normally would fall to her. You have to be ornamental AND functional."

Cyrus laughed at his own joke but the President was not laughing. He didn't know which point to address first, so he went with the easiest. "Cyrus, I have two hours free for a reason. I'm not pushing up any meetings. I have an unscheduled lunch meeting. It's personal. As far as the meeting with the planner, it will happen at the time it is currently scheduled. I've really got to get some help with all the things that Mellie did. Preferably someone who doesn't bitch as much as she did. I'm going to have to think about how to resolve that problem, because I am the President. Not the First Lady. And as much as I am glad to be finally free of...her, I can't be looking at china patterns, and napkins, and place cards, and seating charts for a damn party." Fitz could feel his frustration level rising and he really didn't want to be like that right now. He wanted to be calm and relaxed so he could enjoy his lunch with Harper.

Cyrus, on the other hand, was still stuck on the fact that Fitz had a lunch meeting. A personal one at that. He wondered why he hadn't been informed of it and who it was with. He'd ask Lauren when he left. Just then, the President's phone buzzed and his secretary informed him his lunch meeting was on the way up to the Oval. Fitz met Cyrus' eyes and he stood to usher his Chief of Staff out of his office. "We'll discuss this First Lady issue more in depth later. Right now, my next appointment is on the way up." Fitz opened the door and told a very confused Cyrus goodbye.

As Cyrus walked over to Lauren's desk to inquire about the President's meeting, there was a knock on another door of the Oval Office. Fitz turned and walked toward the other door, opening it wide and grinning like a kid.


	8. The Truth and Then Some

Just a quick note to say thank you to anyone who is still along for the ride with me. And welcome to all who have recently discovered this story. I love reading your reviews so please keep them coming. And you are welcome to share any suggestions you might have in your review as well. I am enjoying writing this story. It's nice to see Fitz relaxed and not super stressed over a fickle woman. If only it would happen on the show...  
The Truth and Then Some  
Harper walked into Fitz's office as he happily ushered her in. They shook hands and exchanged hellos. She was wearing a black pant suit with a mossy green top under the jacket. The top really brought out the beautiful green of her eyes and Fitz tried hard not to stare before they walked over to the two sofas in his office. Feeling somewhat comfortable, she sat down in the same spot she had occupied the last time she was at the White House. She glanced over at his desk and saw a few pieces of paper laying in the center of it, meticulously stacked. He sat across from her and his eyes followed her gaze to his desk. She grinned at him and he returned it. He sheepishly said, "I actually got a lot done this morning, but it doesn't look like it. I have little hope that I will get to the rest of that today either."  
"Has the desire to do paperwork already passed, Mr. President?" She was teasing him and he knew it.  
"Paperwork is a necessary evil. It has to be done, but it's definitely not my favorite part of the job."  
He left himself open to that one so she plunged in and asked, "And what is your favorite part of the job?"  
His smile was genuine and she felt it. "Meeting interesting people such as yourself." Holy shit! Was he flirting with her in the Oval? His smile never faltered and his face gave away nothing but he felt a shift in the conversation. He hoped she didn't take his comment as flirting. That would be embarrassing for both of them. He was not in a place to be flirting with anyone. He knew he needed to change the subject, but nothing came to mind. Absolutely nothing.  
Oh my gosh he is flirting with me! In the Oval Office! And he's good at it. Of course he's good at it. Look at him. As happy as her inner voice was, Harper knew they still had to have a conversation to clear some things up. They had to get on another topic. "I'm sure you've met a lot of interesting people over the course of your Presidency. I can see why that would be on the top of your list." Why were they still talking about this? Her brain refused to cooperate with her in moving on to something else. Anything else.  
"I have met some very interesting people that have impacted my life in a positive way. And some that just...impacted it." It was now or never. Fitz leaned heavily on his nerve and decided to get it over with. "Harper, lunch will be brought up shortly, but I really want to discuss something with you. Something personal and very difficult for me to talk about. I've actually only told one other person what I'm about to share with you. I feel I can trust that you will keep it to yourself."  
Harper leaned up on the edge of her seat, touched his arm, and said "Of course you can trust me to keep your confidence. Please don't feel that you have to share anything with me if it makes you uncomfortable in any way. I hope I haven't made you feel like that."  
This woman was quickly becoming one of his favorite people. She wasn't out to make a name for herself at his expense. She wasn't trying to push her own agenda at the expense of his. She wasn't trying to steal or break his heart on a whim. She seemed to truly care about how he was feeling. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have that kind of person in his life. In that moment, he hoped their friendship would solidify into the lasting kind.  
Fitz took a deep breath and shared the story of what happened between Olivia and himself. Harper listened intently and didn't ask any questions or make any comments. For that he was relieved. After he was done talking, he sat quietly and realized something that surprised him. As painful as it was to relive the feelings he had been bottling up, he felt better for being able to talk it all the way through. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He glanced up at her and studied her face. There wasn't any pity, or sorrow, or any emotion he was expecting to see. He wondered what she was thinking.  
Harper was amazed at the man sitting in front of her. He had been through more than she had imagined and yet was so kind, and funny, and caring. She supposed he didn't have the luxury of taking time off and processing everything he was dealing with. He was the President after all and she imagined all sorts of things needed his attention on a daily basis. "Wow," she breathed. She respected him so much more for his strength. She didn't know if she would be able to get out of bed every morning, much less function as a person, after all that he had just described. "Are you alright?"  
Fitz thought about her initial reaction. In the few weeks since the break up, no one had asked him that one simple question. It spoke volumes about the people he had to surround himself with as the President. The job was a catch twenty-two really. He didn't allow people too close to his private life, but because of that, no one really knew what was going on or how he was actually doing. Harper's question touched his heart. She cared about how he was after the fall out. It was nice to have someone really care about him. "I won't lie and say I'm completely over it. I still have moments that cause me pain, but I think the worst is behind me. I just need time to heal so I can move forward. I don't really know you, but it feels like we have been friends for a long time. I feel normal when I am around you. There isn't any bullshit with you. You don't know how long it's been since I have been able to say either of those things about another person in my life. It's so refreshing. I apologize for taking you out of your office today. I wanted to explain this to you because I do consider you a friend. And I didn't want you to think I was some dirty old man spending time with you behind another woman's back, making you some kind of secret. It's not like that."  
He's cute when he's rambling on. He was trying to explain things to her that he didn't need to worry himself with. "I know exactly what you mean. I can't explain it either, but I feel very comfortable around you. Like I have known you for ages. So much so, that if I ever take liberties that I shouldn't, please point it out to me. Because I don't really know if I would notice it. You are very easy to talk to and I think that is a big part of where the comradery comes from. I'm very sorry that your personal life isn't where you  
would like it to be right now. But in time, I think you will meet someone new who will touch your heart in a way no one else could. And maybe you will pursue something with her. You're too handsome to be celibate forever!" Harper covered her mouth immediately after the words came out of her mouth as Fitz laughed at her. "Oh my god, I can't believe I just said that to you."  
As his laughter eased up Fitz thought about her choice of words. Someone who will touch your heart. Before he could think on it any longer there was a knock at the door and lunch was wheeled in. Two men set up a small table and chairs near the window of the Oval. They set two dome covered plates on either side of the table as well as two water glasses and their silverware. They set a small vase of white Cherokee roses in the center of the table. As Harper watched them set everything up she glanced at Fitz, who was already looking at her. He shrugged. "The more I thought about a picnic, the more I thought it was a bad idea. I didn't want to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable. And, truth be told, it felt like something people do on a date. That's not what this is, so I asked for the table. I hope you are ok with that?"  
"Of course. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. The important question is, what are we eating? I'm hungry!"  
"Let's go find out." Fitz held his hand out to help her up and she willingly took it. They walked over to the table together and he pulled out a chair for her. Once she was seated he took his chair. He smiled at her and said, "You owe me a home cooked southern dinner, which I am looking forward to more than you can imagine. So I thought I would share with you one of my favorite foods to eat in the winter from where I grew up in California." He pulled the lid from their plates with a flourish and set them on the floor. "Today we are dining on clam chowder served in a bread bowl. I know it's nothing fancy really, but it's hot and hearty. And that's important on a cold day in January."  
Harper wasn't looking for a four course meal for lunch, and the simplicity of this one made her happy. She eyed the meal and vocalized her approval to him. "You know, in school nutrition we have a saying. Kids eat with their eyes first. They will make food choices at school based on how appealing they are presented. This chowder looks amazing." She glanced at him and smiled. "I appreciate that you used my home state flower as the centerpiece on the table. It's the small things that matter, Mr. President. Let's eat."  
As they ate their lunch they talked about all kinds of things. Both felt completely at ease with the other one and the time went by rapidly because of it. They had moved back to the couches and were drinking coffee and enjoying their afternoon together when the phone on his desk buzzed. Fitz got up and spoke a few words into the receiver and then set it back down. The look on his face wasn't a happy one. Fitz looked at his wrist watch and was shocked at the time. It was ten minutes after two. How did that happen so fast, he wondered. If only some of his other meetings went by that quickly. He looked at Harper and said, "I didn't realize what time it is. This afternoon went by so fast somehow. I have a meeting that was supposed to start ten minutes ago. I'm sorry, but I really can't cancel it. I have to go play First Lady."  
Harper gave him a quizzical look and Fitz grimaced. "The White House is hosting a party in two weeks and since I no longer have a wife to deal with the specifics, I have to go myself. It's a perk of being a single man here." He rolled his eyes dramatically.  
"Why don't you hire someone to take care of all of that? Or let someone who worked in the First Lady's office do it? I'm sorry for being so vocal," she apologized. "I'm sure you have already thought of all the options as a way to get out of doing it yourself." Fitz nodded miserably and placed his mug on the coffee table in front of the couch. He stood up and started buttoning his suit jacket as an idea came into Harper's head. Why not? she thought to herself. "What if I came with you to your meeting with the planner?"  
Fitz stopped mid button and his head snapped up to her face in confusion. "Why would you want to come with me to a meeting about planning a party?" At her wide perfect smile his heart soared. "Do you know anything about planning parties? I'm not talking about sorority parties for co-ed college kids. I'm talking about black tie affairs with lots of paparazzi and people who think they are better than everyone else."  
"Fun fact about me Mr. President. When I was still a southern belle down in Georgia, my family was very close to the Governor." She started laying the southern accent on heavily for humor sake. "My daddy used to go fishin with him out on Lake Lanier practically every weekend, you see. Him and his wife were never able to have children of their own, so he was like an uncle to my brother and I. About the time I graduated college, he got elected as Governor. And do you know who planned his victory party? And several other grand parties after that? Do you wanna guess?" She was giggling now.  
But the President wasn't laughing. He was in awe. He stood there staring at her. "Do you have time in your schedule to go to this meeting with me? As badly as I would love to have you come with me, I don't want to interrupt anything you may have on your agenda."  
Harper wanted to tease him so badly. but he was being so thoughtful of her. "Actually, work has slowed down quite a bit recently. I was in the office doing paperwork instead of sitting at home watching crappy television. I have the afternoon free, Mr. President."  
"Oh my god, I could kiss you!" Realizing what he had just said to her, Fitz pressed his lips together in a flat line and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes and she was laughing at him. "I'm so sorry. It's the excitement of having help until I can talk you in to taking the whole thing over for me. Besides, now we are even. This comment cancels out your very rude one about me being celibate." Her laughter grew louder. "And for future reference, please call me Fitz when it's just you and I. Mr. President is too damn formal for us. Also, be warned. My Chief of Staff is a beast. He will try to give you a hard time for even being at the meeting. Just hold your own and you'll be fine."  
They walked out of the Oval Office and she followed him down long winding halls and eventually into a very spacious room. She assumed this is where the party would be held. Harper whispered to Fitz, "You're holding the party in the East Room?" She was in awe of the size of it. "It's absolutely gorgeous! I already have a thousand plans in my mind."  
Fitz grinned, but it was short lived because at that moment he heard the gruff voice of Cyrus exasperatedly saying, "I could have been running Harvard. But instead, I'm at a meeting for the First Lady. There is no First Lady! And you are late!"


	9. Meeting of the Minds

Meeting of the Minds

"Cyrus!" Fitz exclaimed. "You are being rude in front of our guest. Come over here and meet Miss Phillips." Cyrus walked across the floor in the grand room and stopped in front of Harper. He eyed her up and down through the scowl on his face. "Cyrus Beene, this is Harper Phillips. I have invited her to this meeting to see if she can offer some help with this insanity. She likes to plan parties." Fitz shrugged his shoulder and winked at her. "We'll see if she can help us out with this one."

Cyrus was not a happy man. But then again, he rarely was. He reluctantly shook Ms. Phillips hand and groaned inwardly. He knew quite a bit about this woman already, and decided he would play nice. For now. Being offensive with the women in Fitz's life had not worked out well for him in the past. "Nice to meet you Miss. Phillips. We could definitely use the help of a woman with this party the President is throwing. He really doesn't have time to waste on silly things like this. Have you ever planned a party of this size before?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Beene. I've heard quite a bit about you." Harper offered. She knew enough about this man to know when she was being sweet talked. She also knew, as a woman, there was a time to be polite and bear certain things, and there was a time to draw a line in the sand and not allow anyone to step over it. She would have to balance those two things very carefully with Cyrus Beene. He was the President's Chief of Staff, and an important man in Fitz's life. But Harper was never going to be anyone's door mat. Or be treated as such. "The President certainly didn't bring me along for my good looks, Mr. Beene." Fitz enjoyed a chuckle over that retort, while Cyrus seemed to be waiting patiently for a reply with a fake smile plastered on his face. Harper cleared her throat and said, "Mr. Beene, I have planned and hosted lots of parties. Some of them bigger than this one. I'd be glad to look at the plans and, with the approval of both of you, I would love to give my input. If it's not what you are aesthetically looking for, I'll go back to my humble office where a mountain of paperwork awaits me."

And with her last comment, the planner strutted in; rather quickly. He was a small man, impeccably dressed in a navy suit. "I am SO sorry I'm late, Mr. President! Traffic was a bear." He smiled at the two men politely, but then fixed his attention on Harper, and gave her a dazzling smile. "And who is this beautiful creature?"

Fitz felt something rise up within him. He knew exactly what it was, but refused to name it. He cut his eyes over to the short man on his left, raised his eyebrows, and silently dared him to continue flirting with Harper. The planner didn't notice anything Fitz did, because his attention was solely on Harper. Fitz vaguely heard her reply as she extended her hand to shake his. The little man brought Harper's hand up to his lips where he kissed it. "My name is Harper Phillips. The President invited me to attend this meeting to offer a female point of view. And you are...?"

"Oh my goodness!" The little man practically squealed. "My manners have escaped me. I apologize Mrs. Phillips. My name is Jonathan Wolfe. Please, call me Jonathan. I am the party planner for this grand event." Fitz noticed that the small man was still holding Harper's hand as he spoke. And it bothered him. Still holding her hand, Jonathan walked around the space of the room talking to her while Fitz and Cyrus followed. "A woman's point of view is essential to any party. I am good, if I may say, but I am no match for a woman's perfect touch. Women see the necessary things that men sometimes overlook."

"Oh I absolutely agree Mr. Wolfe. Women tend to know little things that men never think of." she gushed. Harper suddenly remembered where she was and looked back at the two men walking behind them. "But this really is the President's party. I'm just here to help in any way that I can."

"Well of course it is, my dear. That is why it's being held at the White House and not somewhere else." Jonathan chuckled. Fitz cleared his throat and gazed down at their still joined hands. Jonathan picked up on the hint, smiled, and discreetly dropped Harper's hand. "Now then, how would you like to transform this beautiful room into the black tie event of the season, Mr. President?"

Fitz had no idea why he was even in this room. True, he was throwing the party, but he didn't know the first thing about aesthetics, or seating, or anything other than showing up and having a good time. It's why he asked for Harper's help to begin with. And she was walking around the room with the small man. He rolled his eyes. Fitz wished he had time to look for another planner. This guy seemed unorganized. He was late, which was a trait that Fitz loathed. And, if he admitted it, at least to himself, Fitz was not comfortable with how open the small man was with Harper. He knew the party was too close for him to get rid of the small man now. Might as well get this over pleasantly, he thought. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Mr. Wolfe. I know you have been busy planning this event for the past few months on behalf of the White House. And I appreciate your hard work. I'll be honest and say I have no idea how to plan a party of this magnitude. I'm just here to listen to what you have planned so far and confirm everything. I'm paying you to handle the details." Fitz turned his hands palms up and said, "So what did you have in mind?"

Jonathan smiled at the President. He was getting paid a hefty sum of money to organize this party. He knew that he had made a bad first impression with the President in arriving late for their meeting. He also knew that the President was not a fan of his. And he also knew that feeling was a direct result of how he interacted with Harper. It was time for him to prove himself worthy of this job before he was fired. "I was thinking of setting up round tables on half of the room with white tablecloths. The other half of the room will be for dancing, naturally," he beamed. Seeing the President's apparent lack of enthusiasm on that subject, he rushed on. "I'd like to set up buffet tables in the State Dining Room for your guests. I have spoken to the caterers and am aware that the menu has already been decided and approved by you, Mr. President." At the nod of his head, the little man continued talking; counting on his fingers as he rattled off details. "I have a finalized list of guests attending the party. Press releases have been sent out. The schedule has been revised and finalized. The program books are completed. The gifts for your guests are secured..."

As the little man droned on, Fitz looked up and caught Harper's gaze. She was looking at the little man. She seemed impressed at how well he had things together. He noticed her trying to stifle a yawn and he smiled. She looked up and saw Fitz looking at her. She smiled back at him and pointed to a corner. Fitz nodded enthusiastically and said to Mr. Wolfe, "Excuse us for a moment. Please, continue telling your plans to my Chief of Staff, Mr. Beene."

Fitz and Harper walked towards a corner of the room where he shook her hand and whispered "Thank you for saving me over there! I was losing brain cells listening to him talk about all those details I know I should care about, but just...don't." They shared a quiet chuckle together. "We'd better look like we are discussing something of importance or they are going to get suspicious."

"I'm betting you have about three minutes before your Chief of Staff loses his mind too." They glanced over at the two men. The little man was chatting away amiably, expressing himself with his hands all the while. Cyrus, on the other hand looked like he'd rather have a hot stove poker shoved into his ears. Even Harper could tell his smile was fake. And waning by the moment. She turned back to the President. "Are you agreeable with everything he has done so far with the party planning? I can tell you weren't into it at all. And I understand that. At least you made that crystal clear with him up front."

His curiosity got the better of him, so Fitz asked, "What do you think of Mr. Wolfe? I'd like to know your honest impression of him."

Well," she started." He knows what he is talking about. Everything he has done so far goes by the timeline for planning a party of this type. He may have been late to the meeting, but he knows what he is doing. The only way you will know for certain, is the night of the event. When you walk in, you will know if everything is the way it should be. You will feel it. And you will be able to see it in the faces of the people attending."

Fitz had always just showed up at a White House event. He never noticed how the other people were acting in response to it. He guessed it was because Mellie, and even Olivia, had always stepped in and done what was required to make everything perfect. It all came back to a woman's touch. Interesting thought. Fitz pondered on that for a few moments in silence.

Harper watched his face in fascination. He seemed to be thinking about something and weighing the pros and cons of it. He rubbed his left index finger across his bottom lip in a back and forth motion as his eyes looked towards the ceiling, as if the answer was up there. He was definitely thinking dep thoughts. His eyes lowered to hers and he gave her a big smile, which she returned. "What was that all about? You seemed a million miles away."

Fitz had an epiphany. He tried to think of all the ways it probably would get turned into a tabloid story. But he didn't care about that right now. He was in his last months as President. He was basically coasting along anyways until his term expired. If a story was written about him in an unpleasant light, what was the worst that could happen? With his smile still in place, he looked Harper in the eye and said, "Would you care to go with me to this White House party?" The look on her face was worth it.

Harper was taken aback by the President's question. As far as the real world was concerned, he was still with someone else. This could get tricky. "Do you think that is a good idea, Mr. President? People are going to ask questions. Personal questions. About the whereabouts of Ms. Pope. About who I am. About why I am with you. I'll be trending on Google and Twitter within the first hour of the party!"

"Is that a no, Mizz Phillips?" Fitz couldn't stop grinning at her. She was seriously stressed out over his casually asked, yet very well thought out question. "You know I have a publicist who deals with nosey people. And in case you didn't notice, Cyrus doesn't have one shy bone in his body. And I can speak for myself if it comes to it. And it most definitely will come to that. It's a party invitation. Not a marriage proposal. Just say you'll think about it. I'm the most eligible bachelor in the world right now. I can't show up to my own party without a date. So I'm gonna need an answer by the end of the week. Otherwise, I'm going to have to go to the next name on my list and ask her to go with me." He was grinning very smugly now, on the verge of laughter.

Harper's eyebrows were raised to the sky at his last comment. She knew he was being funny. She decided to act like it wasn't funny to her. "So...you have a list. Well then, Mr. President, maybe you should go to your second choice and ask her to attend with you." She noticed, with great satisfaction the grin on his face was now gone. "At least I'll know I was number one on that list. There's some comfort in that knowledge."

His face was pale and he started incoherently sputtering apologies to her. He didn't mean to offend her. That was the last thing he intended to do to Harper. He didn't know how to ask her on a frigging date without making it sound like it was, in fact, a date. He closed his eyes to gain his bearings and to think of a way to fix this mess he had just made. He went over in his mind what he was going to say to her to her. When he opened his eyes she was crying. With laughter. He blinked several times to make sure she wasn't crying. "The look on your face was priceless! I wish I had a camera." She hiccupped and cleared her throat. "Don't worry, Mr. President. That image will forever be burned into my memory."

What was he going to do with this woman? She kept him on his toes in the most fun ways. Fitz could appreciate a joke. Even at his own expense. He figured she would go with him, but she needed to say it. After that, he had a few tricks up his sleeve as well. "Have you gotten all that laughter out of your system?" At her wordless nod, he continued. "Will you attend the party with me? I really didn't have any back up names, just so you know."

Harper couldn't think of a better way to spend more time with him. She had to let him off the hook. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Of course I'll go with you."

The voices between Cyrus and Jonathan were growing louder on the other end of the room. The time between Fitz and Harper was growing to a close. They needed to get back into the conversation with the other two men and wrap up this meeting of details. As they started walking toward the raised voices, Fitz looked at Harper and said, "Come by my office one day before the end of the week. There are people who work here to help the First Lady pick out dresses for parties and social functions. I'd like you to buy your dress for the party since you are helping me out. I hope you aren't offended by the offer."

Harper was speechless. He reveled in that until she found her tongue to reply. "That is very generous of you, Fitz. I accept your unnecessary but very gracious offer. I'll be in touch with your secretary tomorrow. Thank you very much."

Fitz. She had finally said his first name. It was a sweet sound to his ears. That southern lilt made his name sound so very different than it actually is. He was grinning again. "By the way, Miss Phillips. As you know, the event is black tie. I'd very much like to see you in a strapless gown. Please keep that in mind." He winked at her and strode over to the arguing men.


	10. Anxiously Waiting

Anxiously Waiting

The week went by painfully slow in Fitz's mind. True to her word, Harper had called Lauren to schedule a day and time to look over dresses that would be brought in for her to choose from. But Fitz hadn't gotten to spend much time with her when she came by a few days later to try the dresses on. She had knocked on his office door and popped her head in to say hello. They shared some small talk for a few minutes and then she was ushered to another room to figure out what she would wear to the party. She was as giddy as a little kid. And Fitz was glad to see her so happy. Girls and clothes...

At this point in his day, Fitz had a few precious moments to himself in the Oval. He spent them thinking of Harper. She had called him earlier saying she had indeed found THE dress and shared her excitement over it. When he pressed her for details of what it looked like, she declined and told the President he would have to wait and see. He asked to at least know the color of it. She eventually caved and told him emerald green. His mind was in overdrive trying to imagine what she would look like in an emerald dress. He wondered if she had chosen a strapless dress, or opted not to. He wondered if she would wear her hair up or down. He wondered how much leg she would show. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her at the end of the evening. He wondered...

Just then Cyrus stormed into the Oval, slamming the door. Fitz was irritated that his thoughts had been interrupted, but thankful at the same time. He needed to control himself. She was a friend of his and he was not a hormonal teenaged boy taking her to the high school prom in hopes of getting laid afterwards. And before his mind could wander into that territory again, Cyrus spoke. Shouted really.

"Sir, if you make me sit through another meeting alone with that party planner I will hang myself with my tie! I'll do it! I have a country to help run. I am an important man around here. I'm not here to listen to that...little man talk about napkins and place cards and nonsense!" Fitz chuckled at Cy's description of Mr. Wolfe because it matched his own. "As a gay man, I have no problem being around other gay men, but he is ridiculous. He makes James look like the Marlboro Man." Cyrus rolled his eyes for effect. Cyrus had stopped ranting because the President was laughing. Cyrus thought Fitz was laughing at him. Or his tirade. And he was getting frustrated, and mad as hell.

Fitz had heard the only words that had any impact on him. Mr. Wolfe was gay. That's why he was so touchy feely with Harper. He wasn't flirting with her. He was genuinely interested in her as a person. Upon that realization, he knew how immature he must have looked to Mr. Wolfe, sending him angry glares in the East Room. Fit threw his head back and was laughing loudly. "Mr. Wolfe is gay?"

Cyrus waited patiently for Fitz to stop laughing and then gave him a bland look. "Yes, Sir he is. Is that really cause for a fit of laughter though?" Cyrus was trying to understand what was so funny as the President started laughing all over again. He thought back to their meeting in the East Room. He remembered seeing Fitz walk in with that woman. He remembered being stuck listening to that little man talk non stop about his "simply amazing" plans for the room as Fitz and Ms. Phillips stepped away to talk about whatever the hell was so important. And then it hit him. He vaguely remembered Fitz shooting a look of death to Mr. Wolfe while he was greeting Ms. Phillips. Cyrus looked at his boss and felt a headache coming on. Fitz had been jealous? Of a gay man? Cyrus rolled his eyes again. Why couldn't Fitz just finish out his term as President and then go screw whomever he wanted? He was going to keep his eye on Ms. Phillips. He really didn't have time to be worrying about women. Hell, he didn't even like them.

It was the day before the party at the White House and everyone was buzzing about it. Fitz had tried on his tux and found no alterations were needed. He had a short phone call with Mr. Wolfe about last minute details and was assured everything was going according to plan. One less thing, thought Fitz. He had spoken to Harper a handful of times during the week. Apparently she was working rather closely with Mr. Wolfe, and was enjoying it immensely. She gushed about some of the little details that she found interesting. Fitz didn't care a thing about any of it. But he was happy she was enjoying herself and seemed to really get pleasure from what she was doing. He couldn't wait to see what the two of them had put together. She hinted at a few surprises, but told him he would be pleasantly surprised by them.

He needed to finalize things with Harper. Fitz wanted to know what time she would be arriving at the White House, where they should meet so they could walk in to the party together, and he just wanted to hear her voice again. He was excited, as well as nervous, about stepping into the party with her on his arm. He expected the backlash that would eventually come his way. And the questions about Olivia. He wasn't looking forward to it, but his excitement far outweighed the dread of having to deal with those things. They were two friends who were attending a party together. Nothing more, nothing less.

He picked up the phone and asked for an outside line. Fitz then called Harper's cell and she answered on the third ring."Hello Fitz. What a nice surprise. Your timing is impeccable. I was just thinking I could use a break."

Hearing her voice always made him smile. Hearing her call him by his first name, instead of Mr. President, made him smile bigger. He was getting used to that. "And how are you today Mizz Phillips? What are you working on so hard that requires a break?"

"Well, I am currently doing very important girly things. Trying to find the perfect jewelry to go with my dress." She replied. "How does the most important man in the free world have so much time on his hands to call me anyways? Shouldn't you be working?"

Fitz loved their back and forth on the phone. He couldn't help but flirt a little with her. "Ahhhh, that sounds so very important in the grand scheme of things. What kind of jewelry are you looking at? I have excellent taste in jewelry, so I could be a big help to you. All you have to do is send me a picture of your dress."

"Would you really?" she began. "I am at a complete loss at these things. I'm going to send a photo to your cell phone. Do you have it nearby?"

Holy shit! That worked? Fitz thought. Play it cool man. "Yes ma'am, I'm going to get it off my desk right now. I'll be glad to be of some help. Let me know when you've sent it." He stared a hole at his cell phone as he faintly heard Harper coughing.

Harper was trying so hard not to laugh. She covered it with a cough, hoping he hadn't heard it. She put her phone on mute, grabbed a trash bag from under her sink, opened it up, and took a photo of it. With a swipe of her fingers, the photo of the trash bag was sent to his phone. "I just sent it. I really appreciate your help. It's so nice of you to offer. I had no idea of your skills with women's fashion." She wished she could see his face when he saw the photo. She waited a few moments and then heard...

"I got it. Hang on a sec." Fitz excitedly opened her text. To see a photo of a trash bag. To say he was a bit deflated was an understatement. He heard her laughing openly on the phone. "Touché Mizz Phillips," he chuckled. "I have received the message loud and clear. You don't want me to see your dress before Saturday night under any circumstances. Just remember, I did offer my services." There was silence on her end of the line and Fitz thought the call had been dropped by her cell. "Harper? Are you still there?"

"Ummm, yes. I'm here. Sorry about that. I dropped the phone." Harper hadn't dropped the phone at all. She had lost her breath at the mention of Fitz offering his services. She too, had been thinking inappropriate thoughts about him all week. And that comment had practically sent her over the edge. She had been anxiously waiting for Saturday night to roll around so she could see him in a tux. She had Googled pictures of him in a tuxedo, of course. Several times, in fact. And those images had made her mind wander to places it shouldn't. But she knew seeing it in person was going to be a completely different story. She cleared her throat and continued. "Nice try, Mr. President. But you'll see my dress on Saturday night. Along with everyone else. I am all female, and a southern female to boot. I know my way around jewelry, kind Sir. Don't you worry about pesky details like that when you should be running the world. I will do you proud Saturday night as your plus one."

'I'm all female.' That was an understatement. This conversation had to end quickly. Fitz was getting those thoughts back in his head. In vivid detail. "I'm glad your pesky girly details, as you put it, are in order. But there are still a few things we need to go over before I head off to my next meeting. What time should I send a car to pick you up tomorrow evening? The party starts at 7 so we will need to make our entrance together no later than that."

"You bought me a beautiful dress. You are sending a car to pick me up for the ball. A ball you let me help put together. Cinderella never had it this good, Mr. President." she chuckled.

"Cinderella's dress turned to rags. And her ride was a pumpkin. If you ask me, Prince Charming needed to step up his game in that story. I am truly offended to be compared to him, Miss Phillips." Fitz saw Lauren standing in his doorway and gave her the sign that he'd just be a moment longer.

She laughed while mentally calculating how long it would take to get to the White House, through security, and then find him. "Point well taken. I'll keep that in mind the next time I make a comparison that involves you. If you send a car for me to be picked up at six I'll have no trouble arriving in plenty of time for the party."

"I'll let Secret Service know. I do need to go though, Harper. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Have a good evening."

"You have a good evening as well. Bye Fitz." She hung up the phone and looked across the room at the green dress that was hanging on the top of her bedroom door, still inside it's dress bag. As anxious as he was to see her dress, she was just an anxious to see him in a tux. Only one more day and the mystery would be revealed to them both. She doubted she would sleep much tonight.


	11. A Happy Diversion

A Happy Diversion

Saturday morning came and went entirely too fast for Harper. There was so much for a female to do to get ready for a big outing such as the one at the White House tonight. She had soaked in the tub, enjoying the peace and quiet in her apartment. She knew that tonight would be filled with meeting new people, making necessary small talk, and knowing all eyes would be on her. She also knew she would be written, whispered, and blogged about the next day in great detail. Her dress. Her hair. What she ate. What she said. How she acted. Everything about her would be dissected in minute detail.

Luckily, she had a thick skin and wasn't a self conscious person. She knew navigating a friendship with the President of the United States would put her under the eye of scrutiny. And while she was mindful of how she spoke and acted with him in the presence of others, Harper really wasn't affected by how other people saw her. Life was too short to live trying to please people all the time. She didn't know how people in the spotlight retained their sanity.

She was looking forward to the party. It was going to be different spending time with Fitz somewhere other than in a meeting. It was one thing to sit across from him in the Oval Office discussing any and everything. It was quite another to be, well...his date, for a public event at the White House. The butterflies in her stomach were in high gear. Harper was very excited and very nervous at the same time. She hoped he liked her dress.

Across town, Fitz was getting dressed in the residence. He had showered and done his hair. That damn curl at his forehead was being stubborn again, and no matter how much product he put in his hair it had apparently decided it was going to hang loose and away from the rest. He made a mental note to schedule a haircut soon. As he put on his cufflinks he wondered how bad things would be in the papers tomorrow. There was bound to be talk of his date for the evening. Harper would be googled and every fact about her put into written word for all to read. He would be misquoted, as he always was and before he had his breakfast tomorrow, he would be engaged to Harper somewhere in print. The thought made him frown. Maybe he shouldn't have asked her to be his date.

As President, his life was openly on display every day of his life. He didn't like that aspect of being the President, but it was part of the job. All eyes were on him all of the time. Especially after divorcing Mellie. The shock of a sitting United States President divorcing his wife had never happened before. Then his relationship with Olivia became public. Trying to run the country while taking their relationship public had taken it's toll.

He shook both women from his mind and thought about the one he would be spending time with tonight. He didn't want Harper to be overwhelmed by the paparazzi, or become power hungry by it. He knew she would be the topic of conversation everywhere. He wanted to protect her from it as much as possible. He just didn't see a way around it, short of uninviting her. And he wasn't going to do that. He was looking forward to spending time with her tonight. He decided he would stick close by her all night long and keep her away from the more loose lipped people. He put on his tuxedo jacket and checked the time. She would be arriving in about a half hour. He checked his appearance one last time in the mirror, cursed that lone hanging curl, and headed down to the Oval to wait for her. He hoped his nerves were calmer before she arrived.

The car arrived at Harper's building precisely at six. She looked at herself once more in the mirror, gathered her clutch, and walked outside. Tom was standing beside the opened door of the backseat of the town car. He gave her a smile and they exchanged 'good evenings' before she settled herself inside. Tom started the trek to the White House while Harper applied lipstick. The butterflies had multiplied and were doing gymnastics in her stomach. What if he hated everything she and Jonathan had done in the East Room? What if he thought her dress wasn't right? What if she embarrassed him in some way? What if? What if? What if?

"Tom, would you mind putting the partition up please?" she asked. Tom complied. Harper shut her eyes and took some deep breaths. Time for a pep talk. "Calm down, Harper. You can do this! You are going to meet Fitz in the Oval Office and he is going to walk you into that party. You are going to smile and be polite and meet some new people." She breathed deeply a few more times. " You look great. You are ready."

"Are you ready?" Tom stood at the opened back door and smiled at Harper. She didn't feel the car come to a stop and she surely didn't hear him open the door for her. He reached his hand in the car to assist her in getting out. She smiled at his kind gesture and put her hand into his. She stepped out of the car and straightened her dress.

She looked up into his eyes and said, "Thank you, Tom. I assume you are walking me to the Oval?" At his 'yes ma'am', they started walking. Harper tried to make small talk with Tom along the way. She could tell he wasn't a chatty guy but he warmed to her southern charm and answered most of her questions. His answers were usually yes ma'am or no ma'am. She found him endearing and guessed him to be one of Fitz's favorite Secret Service agents. He was certainly her favorite. They eventually found themselves standing beside Lauren's desk. Lauren complimented Harper's dress and told her the President had said she could go in when she arrived. Harper thanked Lauren.

She took a deep breath and walked to the door, took a deep breath full of confidence, and walked in. Fitz was behind the Resolute desk, hunched over something he was writing. He lifted his head and froze. She was a vision of beauty. A vision he would very much like to do things to. He stood up and took her in. He took his time in looking at every detail of her from head to toe. Her blond hair was in long beautiful waves down her back. Her make up looked flawless. Not too heavily applied but her eyes somehow looked even more green. How was that possible? He didn't know exactly what shade her lipstick was, but he really wanted to kiss her lips. He was mesmerized by her lips and stared unabashedly at them. The top of her dress had a gorgeous deep green lace applique that went to her tiny waist. A waist he couldn't wait to get his hands on when they danced later on. From there the emerald material was slim fitting and fluted out at the bottom as it touched the floor. He could see a strappy shoe poking out from the bottom of the material. "Wow" he breathed. He walked around his desk toward her. "You look absolutely stunning." He was going to have a really hard time keeping his hands to himself tonight and his thoughts under control.

Harper hadn't been able to breathe as she watched his eyes roam over her body. She had felt that familiar pull in her belly as he looked at her with longing. She wondered how he would look at her in a more intimate setting. It was very intoxicating to watch his every feeling as it came across his face. She desperately wanted him to touch her and tried to convey that to him with her eyes. Instead, she cleared her throat and said, "You clean up well too, Mr. President." Harper had been shell shocked at how dapper he looked in his tux. She knew he would look good, but he looked delectable. Sexy even. The thoughts that were running through her mind right now were not becoming of a lady. "I know you requested a strapless, but this dress spoke to me..."

"Never listen to me. Always listen to the dress. It was right you know. The dress? You look absolutely beautiful in this dress. And I love the earrings." He reached his right hand up, and with his thumb on her cheek, he lightly touched the glittery earring with his index finger. His eyes met hers and for a moment he thought he would kiss her. He wanted to. He really wanted to. But before he started leaning in to her, he realized that might not be the best idea right now. They were headed to a party that would be covered by lots of press. It wouldn't look good if he showed up with lipstick on his face and hers was smeared. He dropped his hand and stepped back.

Harper expelled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. He was about to kiss her. She was absolutely sure of it. She wanted him to kiss her. She wondered why he stopped himself. But then he stepped back from her. Of course he stepped back. He was a gentleman. And the President. He wasn't going to be making out with random women in the Oval Office. Harper was being ridiculous. He was her friend and she needed to get her head on straight. She watched him take a step back from her and looked down to pick an non existent piece of lint from her dress. When she looked back up Fitz looked at his watch, extended his arm, smiled, and said "Shall we?" Harper nodded her head at him with a smile and looped her arm through his. Together they walked side by side to the East Room, each thinking their own thoughts and trying to get them under control.

Harper stood beside Fitz with her arm still firmly looped around his as the announcer said "The President of the United States, Fitzgerald Grant the Third and Miss Harper Phillips." They walked into the East Room full of smiles as every single person turned toward them. It was slightly terrifying for Harper. She halted her steps as numerous camera flashes went off in their faces. Fitz could feel her hesitation and said as he leaned toward her, "What can I say? The camera loves my face." It was enough to snap her out of her fearful state and she laughed. The reporters asked her what he had said that was so funny, but she just smiled at them as they walked away.

"Thank you for that," Harper told Fitz. "I momentarily freaked out. I'm sorry for it. I'll try to be a better date for the rest of the night."

Fitz grinned at her and said, "I wasn't kidding. The camera really does love my face. Have you ever seen a bad picture of me? No, you haven't. If I helped you out with something, great. I was simply stating the obvious." Harper chuckled at him.

"Wow! I'm actually glad election season is only a year away. We really need to get someone in office with a much smaller head than yours!" Now it was his turn to laugh at her.

Fitz and Harper walked around the room taking in the sights, trying to avoid people, for a little while longer. He was enjoying this time with her and wanted to savor it a little while longer. He saw Mr. Wolfe walking their way from the corner of is eye. He groaned inside, knowing his alone time with Harper was about to be over. "Good evening, Mr. President. I hope everything is to your liking tonight?" Mr. Wolfe smiled.

Fitz was looking at Harper as he spoke to the little man. "Everything is beautiful, Mr. Wolfe." Giving his attention to the planner, he said, "You have done a fantastic job in transforming this room for tonight. I appreciate all you've done."

Harper was happily smiling at Jonathan and had missed the compliment Fitz had directed at her. "I'm thrilled you are pleased, Mr. President. Have you had a chance to look at your table yet, Sir?" Mr. Wolfe asked.

"We haven't gotten that far yet." Why did everything Fitz said sound like a sexual innuendo? He could either stop talking or just go with it. When Harper turned her head to look at him, he caught her gaze and replied, "We'll get there before the night is over." He watched as she shivered slightly at his words. "Enjoy your evening, ." Harper was still looking at him when Mr. Wolfe walked away. "What is of importance at our table?"

"You are no fun, Mr. President. Don't you like surprises at all?" She teased. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see what the fuss is about."

Fitz heard music playing in the background as he watched Harper talk. There really was something about her lips that captivated him. He looked away in an effort to prevent his mind from thinking about kissing her. He saw Cyrus walking towards them and really wasn't in the mood for a conversation or confrontation with him. He grabbed Harper's hand and simply asked, "Would you care to dance with me Mizz Phillips?" She smiled at him and nodded.

Fitz continued holding her hand as he led her to the dance floor. He turned to her and held out his left hand for her to place her right one into. And then finally, finally, his right hand happily settled on her left hip. The material felt paper thin and he was not complaining. She put her left hand on his shoulder and said, "That was the best escape I've seen you perform yet." Frank Sinatra's 'The Way You Look Tonight' played as they danced.

Fitz was surprised that she had seen Cyrus coming toward them, but easily said, "It was an easy choice. Listen to Cyrus bitch and moan about whatever is on his mind, or get you out on the dance floor. I think I chose well."

"You are smooth. I'll give you that. Lucky for you, this is one of my favorite songs." She tried to focus on the words of the song that was playing and not how big his hands were. Or how perfect it felt when he was holding her hand toward the dance floor.

"You know Sinatra? I'm kind of impressed. This happens to be one of my favorite songs as well. And it's very fitting for the moment. Don't you agree?" He was looking at her lips again and humming.

She looked up at him with just as much intensity as he was giving her. She listened to him humming along with the song. Why did she think that was hot? She watched his jaw flex and before the song ended, she grabbed his hand and started walking away from the dance floor. She walked toward the door they had walked in from, down the twisting winding halls of the White House. She heard Fitz question where they were going. She just kept walking the halls until she came to a familiar door. It was the room where she had tried on dress after dress for the party. It had taken hours until she had found the one she was currently wearing.

The room was completely dark and empty. His hand brushed against the wall for the light switch, but he felt Harper's hand cover his own and gently push it away, leaving them in the dark. "What are we doing here, Harper?" he asked. His voice was thick and although he was feeling excited, he wanted her to explain. To make sure they were on the same page. To make sure he wasn't imagining something that wasn't really there to begin with.

Harper put her hand on his chest and looked up to his face. "I know this is ridiculous. I think it's easier for me to say these things to you in the dark. Then I won't be horrified if I'm wrong. But I don't think I am. I've tried ignoring it. Ignoring you. And the way you look at me. But I don't want to ignore it any more. I know we are friends. And I know you are the President. And you tell me if I am the only one feeling it, but I think you want to kiss me. And I really want you to..."

That was all she got out when she felt his large hands grasp each side of her face and he brushed his lips across hers ever so softly. Harper reached her hands up and around his neck to bring him closer to her. As their lips met again, she opened her mouth, and he stuck his tongue into her mouth. Fitz swallowed her happy moan as their tongues dueled with each other a few minutes longer. When they both came up for air, they rested their foreheads against each other. Due to the darkness, neither one could see the deliriously happy smiles on the other ones face. Fitz pecked her lips once more and said, "Mizz Phillips, do you always hunt your prey and then lead them away from the rest of the pack to have your way with them? I am shocked!"

Harper giggled in the dark and said, "I don't think you are, Sir. You are not putting up a fight, which leads me to believe that you are rather enjoying yourself."

"A pretty woman practically drags me away from a party I'd rather not be at in the first place, leads me into a dark room, and basically has her way with me? Why would I put up a fight against that?" He was rubbing little circles on her hand as he spoke.

"Mr. President, when I have my way with you, you'll know it. That was me giving you a diversion from the party that I helped put together. That you are desperate to get away from, for some reason." She grinned in the dark as she touched his cheek.

"I'm looking forward to that knowledge Miss Phillips" He laughed wickedly. It was pitch black in the room, but even so, he could tell her cheeks were blood red from blushing. "How about you divert my attention a little longer? And then we will head back to the party?"


	12. Friends and Foes

**I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who is still hanging** **in with me and reading my story. I know it's** **not a popular idea because we all want Fitz and Olivia to live happily ever after. But since that isn't happening** **right now, this is how I am coping. It's a lot cheaper than therapy! I appreciate your reviews too so keep them coming!**

A Perfect Night

Fitz reached for the light switch and turned on the lights in the room. He and Harper grinned widely as they assessed the damage they had caused one another. Her perfect lipstick was smeared. Luckily she had worn her hair down, and while it was a little out of place, it wouldn't be difficult to fix. Fitz had lipstick on his face. And his hair was also out of place. Neither one seemed to mind that adjustments needed to be made. "Does your hair look as bad as mine?" She asked Fitz. Harper started finger combing his hair, paying no mind to the rebel curl in the front.

"Probably not. Yours isn't bad at all. Mine decided to not behave when I was getting ready earlier." He grabbed the stray lock at his forehead and said, "this one tends to do it's own thing sometimes. It's gotten too long and needs to be cut."

"You can't cut that!" She reached up to touch it and shot him a frown. "That's a Superman curl." Fitz chuckled and grabbed her hand. He planted a kiss on her wrist.

"We need to get ourselves together and get back to the party. Someone said something about a surprise at our table, I'm dying to know what it is." Harper smiled mischievously in his direction. "You can go in the bathroom in here. I'll go through the secret tunnel to the Oval, get myself cleaned up, and meet you back in the hall outside of this room."

"What secret tunnel?" Her eyes flew to the size of saucers as she walked to the door in open curiosity. "I want to go through the secret tunnel too!"

Fitz was laughing loudly now. He pulled her close to him and whispered in her ear. "Mizz Phillips, one day I will show you all the secret tunnels. But today isn't that day." He winked and walked out a side door, leaving her mouth hanging open.

Harper was presentable again in fifteen minutes. There was a knock on the door and she stepped out into the hall to see Fitz and a few Secret Service agents standing nearby. Fitz reached into the room and shut the light off, smirking at Harper as he did so. Her face turned a nice shade of red and Fitz decided he liked embarrassed Harper.

They walked back into the East Room and this time no one paid them much attention. He asked Harper which table was theirs and she started walking that way. There were people dancing and eating and generally having a good time. By all appearances, the party was a success and no one had noticed that the President and his guest had slipped away.

From across the room, Cyrus had seen Fitz & Harper disappear and then rejoin the party a short while later. Seeing their smiles, he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He saw this coming a few weeks ago when they met the party planner. He had seen that look on his boss's face before. The puppy dog look. Fitz was trying to cover it up, but Cyrus knew him well enough to know that wasn't just a happy smile. He rolled his eyes at the pair of them. He downed his drink with one gulp and motioned to the man across the room from him with a smile. Cyrus always had a plan. He needed his boss to keep his mind on his last year as President. He could do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted, when he was a civilian. As Cyrus watched the man getting closer to him, he reminded himself this was for the President's own good.

Harper walked directly to the President's table with him following closely behind her. She was trying to keep the huge smile off of her face, but realized it was in vain. She was a happy woman right now. She had just kissed Fitz for the first time, and she was looking forward to doing it again before the night was over. And every time she looked at him, he would grin at her, and her own smile would double in size. It was a losing battle. When they reached the table, she turned to him and waited expectantly. Fitz looked at the beautifully decorated table and his eye fell on the item he guessed she had been hinting at earlier. The center piece of the table was a rather large gorgeous arrangement of Golden Poppies. Fitz looked at her and was genuinely appreciative of her thoughtfulness. "You think you're clever don't you, Miss Phillips?" He leaned into the arrangement and breathed deeply.

"I wouldn't say clever. I just pay attention, Mr. President." She watched him smell the flowers and could tell the scent mentally took him back to California.

"I wonder how many other decorative touches in this room are stolen ideas? I'll have to really look around now." He scanned the room quickly and tried a stern tone. "Plagiarism is a serious offense, Mizz Phillips and carries strict consequences."

Harper chuckled at him and said, "I only steal the very best ideas, Mr. President. I hoped it would touch you as it did me."

His face softened as he said, "I really appreciate you bringing a little bit of California to the White House, Harper. It makes me miss my home state. And, I suppose I'll let it slide this time. You did learn from the master of great ideas after all." At Harper's eye roll he chuckled.

"Mr. President. There's someone I would like for you to meet." Cyrus had stepped into their conversation with the intention of interrupting them. Throwing a monkey wrench into their obvious happy moment was a benefit he was anxious to watch. Cyrus turned to the man standing on his left and watched as all the color drained from Harper's face. He smiled internally. "This is Captain Benjamin Curry. He's a Navy man like yourself, who has been wanting to meet you. I invited him to the party tonight and didn't think you would mind spending a few minutes with a fellow seaman."

"Of course, Cyrus. Thank you for bringing him over." Fitz turned his attention to the man standing in front of him. He appeared to be in his thirties and was representing the Navy well tonight dressed in his uniform. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Curry."

"Thank you, Mr. President. The pleasure is all mine." The two men shook hands enthusiastically, but Fitz noticed that the man was looking at Harper.

"I'm so sorry. This is Harper Phillips. Harper, this is Benjamin Curry." Fitz smiled as the two shook hands. But he noticed that Harper did not look well.

"No introduction needed, Sir." Ben said. "We've...met before." Ben's eyes were focused on Harper as she averted her gaze from the man standing in front of her shaking her hand. She thought it strange that his hand felt nothing like Fitz's. She dropped hers from his handshake and took a small step back from him.

"You two know each other?" Fitz asked looking from Benjamin to Harper.

"Yes, Sir. Ms. Phillips and I were engaged once upon a time." Ben had noticed Harpers step backward and relished in the knowledge that he still had some kind of influence over her. It had been a few years since they had seen each other, but she still looked beautiful. He wondered how she knew the President of the United States. He wondered at what capacity she was at the party. He wondered if he had a shot at getting her back.

A look of puzzlement came across Fitz's face. "You two were engaged?" His mind was racing with thoughts of the two of them. But on the outside, he wore a casual smile. He looked over at Harper and realized she wasn't standing quite as close to him as she was a moment ago. He wondered about that too. "Talk about a small world." Fitz leaned over to whisper something in Harper's ear, got a small smile from her as an answer, and said to Ben, "I'd love to sit and chat with you about your military experiences and all the stories you must have, Mr. Curry. But if you look around, no one is dancing right now. As the host of this party I have to remedy that." He offered Harper his bent elbow, and when she looped her arm through it, he said, "please excuse us, Mr. Curry. It was very nice to meet you." And with that, they walked to the dance floor.

The band started playing a slow song. He didn't have a clue which one. Nor did he care. He could feel Harper shaking slightly as they held onto each other for the dance. He looked into her beautiful green eyes. They looked sad. She wasn't making much eye contact with him and when she did, it wasn't the same as earlier in the evening. "How bad did he hurt you?" he asked quietly.

Harper's eyes grew wide and when she looked up into his eyes, through his toothy grin he said, "Relax and smile. Everyone in this room is watching us right now." Harper smiled back at him just as fully and she heard him say, "good girl." They whirled around the floor for a few minutes as other couples joined the dancing. Before long they were surrounded by other people enjoying themselves. Fitz pulled her a little closer and said, "On a scale of 'pain in the ass' to 'we need a hit man to take him out', how bad was it?"

Harper closed her eyes and just enjoyed the moment. When she opened them, his intense gaze was fixed on her face. She smiled so she could talk through her teeth as he had done. "I don't want to talk about it tonight." She noticed that he was about to say something but she cut him off. "Please. I just want to enjoy this night. I promise I will tell you everything you want to know tomorrow. Tonight is magical and I was having such an amazing time being here with you. I don't want to tarnish that."

This was sounding serious. Fitz let it go for tonight and held onto her throughout that dance and the two that followed. They walked off the dance floor in search of refreshment. After retrieving their drinks at the bar, Fitz found Harper in a conversation with the Senator from Alabama. The two women were laughing together when he walked up on them. He passed Harper her drink and asked the Senator if she would like one as well. "I'm not a drinker, Mr. President, but thank you for the offer. Are you enjoying yourself tonight, Sir?"

"I am, Ms. Howard. How about you? Are you are having a good time?"

"Please call me Lori. And yes, Sir I am. I was just catching up with my dear friend Harper. It's been impossible to get a moment alone with her tonight since she showed up on your arm. She and I go way back to our debutante days."

Fitz shot a look at Harper with raised eyebrows. "I have met more people from your past at my house tonight, than ever before, Harper." Harper wanted to stick her tongue out, but smiled politely at him.

"I don't know that I would call Lori a friend really. She is from the great state of Georgia, like me. But when she got into politics, she became a traitor and went to our rival state to run for senate. So, friend is a bit of a strong word." She smiled at her friend, while Lori rolled her eyes at Harper.

"That seems a bit harsh, Miss Phillips. I thought you southern women were known for your manners and charm?" He was flirting with her. And she knew it. Lori probably knew it too. But Fitz didn't care right now. He was enjoying his evening in spite of the recent events brought to light.

Lori looked at Fitz with a conspirators smile. "She's never forgiven me for moving to Alabama. It's the equivalent to committing murder in the eyes of a Georgian." There was a gleam in her eye as she continued. "I haven't forgiven her for writing that fabulous book of hers and moving to DC either. But that's old news. I could tell you some really entertaining stories about our dear Harper, Mr. President. She cleans up real nice, but there is a rebellious streak in her a mile long, Sir. And I have the stories to prove it"

He looked up at Tom, who stood nearby, and nodded slightly at Harper. He wanted Tom to keep an eye on her. Fitz was interesting in learning all he could about the woman who occupied his thoughts most of the day. He grinned at the Senator and said, "You have truly piqued my curiosity Lori. What do you say to sharing some of those stories on the dance floor with me?" Fitz held out his hand to her and waited for an answer.

"Lori! Don't you DARE!" Harper threatened on a horrified laugh.

Her momma didn't raise a fool! Lori smiled over Harper's protests and put her hand into his very large one. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Hell, she hoped someone took their picture. For posterity. "It would be rude of me to say no. Now Harper, keep yourself entertained while I have a little talk with my boss. Toodaloo." And with that, they walked toward the dance floor.

Harper watched as her friend and the President danced to two songs. There were smiles and laughter coming from both of them, and they occasionally looked her way as they did both. Lori would give him material to tease her with for months to come. As the two of them danced, she gazed around the room to people watch. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were lots of conversations flowing. Mr. Wolfe was hovering over a server holding a tray in deep discussion. Cyrus was downing a drink with a sneer on his face as he intently watched the President. She saw Senators and journalists all over the room enjoying themselves. A few of the reporters were watching her and scribbling furiously on a pocket sized pad. As she scanned the crowd, her eyes fell on a face that was staring back at her intently. Ben. He had a grin on his face as he focused on her. He lifted his drink and held in out toward her in a toast. Even though he was quite a ways away from her, she felt intimidated.

She almost jumped out of her skin as she felt someone touch her shoulder. As she looked behind her, she saw Tom. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "We have eyes on him, ma'am. You are completely safe here." He nodded his head and gave her a small smile. She felt great relief at his words. She nodded her head back at him, breathed deeply, and put a smile back on her face. As the song wound down, her eyes once again found Fitz and Lori on the dance floor. She looked quite pleased with herself and her smile was evident for everyone to see. They started walking her way and Harper stood up, bracing herself for the sarcasm that was all in good fun, but sure to come.

Once they reached Harper they were still chuckling over their conversation. "Thank you so much for the dance, Lori. And the enlightenment on our good friend Harper. Let's stay in touch please. I may get bored with the information currently in my possession and would love to know I could get more." At Lori's smirk, he gave her a wink and kissed her hand. "I am going to get myself a drink. Can I get you ladies anything?" They both made their requests and he went off to collect them.

Harper watched Lori, who was watching Fitz walk away. When she turned back to her friend, Lori said, "Whaaat? He has a great ass! I was just enjoying the view. Besides, if things between you two are as I suspect they are, if he gets bored with you, he's going to need someone. I'm just making my place in line known." Harper laughed at her friend and said nothing. "Come on, Harper. I can tell there's something going on between the two of you. I'm not blind. Or deaf. And as serious as I was about telling him stories about our sordid youth, he steered the conversation to other topics. It was like he didn't want to know anything even slightly bad about you. I don't know if that is weird or romantic?" But Harper knew.

Fitz came back and the three of them sat and talked over their drinks. Fitz and Harper exchanged looks between the conversation, careful not to keep Lori out of it, but both conveying they wanted to leave. A few minutes later, Fitz stood up and said, "I hate to put an end to the evening right now Lori, but I really must be leaving. I have an early meeting in the morning and still need to make sure Harper gets home safely and prepare for the meeting. President's job is never done" he sighed.

Lori caught the sigh, just as she had caught the two of them making eyes at each other during the entire conversation. "I'm sure it isn't, Mr. President" she said with a hint of sarcasm. She grabbed Harper in a hug and whispered, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Oh hell, get that man naked as soon as y'all are in the backseat. And I want details soon!" And then a voice a little louder she said, "It was so good to see you again, Harper. Let's catch up soon." She shook the President's hand and told them both goodbye. Lori watched the Secret Service escort them out of the room. She looked around the room hoping to find someone to go home with. Her eyes landed on a guy who seemed to be staring a hole into her. A little strange, Lori thought, but why not? He was dressed in a military uniform and looked kinda handsome. She walked over to talk to him.

Fitz and Harper got into the backseat of a sleek black limousine. After the doors were closed, the partition already up, Harper started to laugh. Fitz looked at her like she had grown another head. He waited for her to calm down and asked, "What's so funny?"

Harper recalled her friend's comment and got the giggles once more. In between breaths she tried to share it with him. "Lori said...as soon as I get you...in the back of the car...I should get you...naked." She was wiping the tears from her eyes .

Fitz chuckled, put his arm behind her neck, pulled her close to him and said, "I think we need to spend more time with her." The laughter had stopped and Harper looked up into his eyes. He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up towards his. "Let's start with a kiss. I have been dying to kiss you again all night long."

Fitz leaned down and softly brushed his lips over hers. One of his hands was in her hair behind her neck while the other one was on her waist. Harper turned her body towards his and wrapped both arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. She opened her mouth and his tongue wasted no time searching for hers for a happy dance of their own. Fitz was pulling her closer to him and she was not resisting. They broke for air and the hand on her waist moved to her cheek. "You were absolutely breath taking tonight, Harper. I'm glad you accompanied me to the party. And I'm really glad you dragged me off into a dark room tonight." Harper's face flushed crimson red and Fitz laughed. "Something about your embarrassed face turns me on. I can't explain it, but please understand the reason behind it when I attempt to embarrass you in the future." He could tell she was about to protest, so he added, "Only when it's just the two of us. I promise."

"So when you say 'in the future' does that mean you want to spend more time with me, Mr. President?" She flirted. She was speaking in an effort to control her raging hormones as well as her breathing. She wanted him, but that was not happening on a first date. President or not.

Fitz pulled his head back from hers, looked her in the eyes and smiled. She had no idea the effect she had on him. He didn't know how he made it through the evening without being close to her the entire time. That couldn't happen, of course. Being the President wasn't all it was cracked up to be sometimes. "I would very much like to embarrass you some more, Mizz. Phillips. Is that something you are willing to endure in the future?" He raised his eyebrows and waited for her reply.

Her reply came in the form of a toe curling kiss. When he opened his mouth on a groan, she took advantage by biting his lower lip and going back to his mouth for his tongue. Both of them were breathing hard but not ever wanting to come up for air. There seemed to be too much space between them. But it was difficult to remedy with the type of dress she was wearing. Eventually they did break apart, breath heaving. Fitz ran his thumb over her swollen lips and grinned at her. "I take it that's a yes?"


	13. Chapter 13

Painful Past

Saturdays were supposed to be for sleeping late. Or laying around the house being lazy. Or running errands. Or whatever the hell normal people did. Fitz was the President of the United States. Therefore, he wasn't a normal person. And that's why on this particular Saturday morning at seven a.m., he was dressed in a navy suit, sitting at his desk in the Oval working, and hating it. He glanced out the window at the sunny day looking back at him and grimaced. He was working today so he would be free tomorrow to spend some time with Teddy. He was looking forward to spending time with his son, so today was a necessary evil.

He had phone calls to make, paperwork to do, and a meeting with Cyrus later on in the day. Of all the things he wanted to accomplish, Fitz considered the meeting with Cyrus the most important. He had some serious things to discuss with his Chief of Staff. Cyrus had gotten off his leash again, and Fitz was going to rein him in once and for all. He was not going to spend his last months as President worrying about what kind of crazy shit Cyrus was going to try to pull. Like the meeting Cyrus planned for him with Harper. Fitz had a pretty good idea what that was about since he had looked into it. He couldn't convince himself to be as furious with Cyrus as he wanted to be, because he had met Harper. And that was not a bad thing. In fact, it was shaping up to be a pretty great thing. Then there was the stunt he pulled at the party last night introducing him to Harper's ex, Mr. Curry. Fitz knew that was planned. Cyrus had done his homework on Harper's past. How the hell did he know that Mr. Curry had hurt her in some way? His digging into her life was going to stop too. Cyrus was trying to drive a wedge between him and Harper. And keep her in fear. Fitz purposefully scheduled their meeting later in the day so it would be the last thing he had to deal with, as well as give him as much time as he needed to make things crystal clear to Cyrus.

Fitz also wanted to talk to Harper about Mr. Curry before he met with Cyrus. So he would have his facts straight from the source to rebut anything Cyrus tried to distort to his own gain and call it protecting his boss. He already had spoken to Lauren about having his lunch brought into the Oval so he could talk to Harper when he finished eating. His day would be a long one, but he hoped he had everything taken care of by the time it was over.

But for now, before the craziness started, he wanted to read everything he could about the White House party last night. He picked up the newspaper on top of the stack and saw his own face staring back at him from the front page. Fitz settled himself in his chair, put his feet up on his desk, and began reading. It was an interesting piece that spoke about everything that happened at the party as well as the guests that attended. There was a smaller picture of him and Harper arm in arm, all smiles. He was glad they didn't catch her faltering moment as they walked in the door. Their dancing was mentioned as well as what and who they wore. Facts he expected to read several times this morning in print. Not a negative comment was made. Not a question about Olivia. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

That was wishful thinking. He picked up the next paper, and again, a photo of him and Harper were on the front page. This time they were dancing with smiles on their faces. This article had delved a little more deeply with more facts about Harper. Who she was and what she did had been detailed in the column. The reporter made mention mid way through in the piece about Olivia. Where was she? Why was she not in attendance at the party? Why was Harper at the party with the President?

The third paper, however, was more hard hitting. The photo displayed was of him looking at Harper with a look that could only be described as adoration. It was taken a moment after he had thanked her for the flowers that were on their table. It was a great picture, but one that shouldn't have been captured for the world to see. This article was one that made Fitz look like a playboy who was out having a good time with a random woman, even though the facts about her were detailed for all to read. This writer was not happy the President had a woman on his arm that wasn't his girlfriend, Miss Pope. The article was filled with comments about the two of them drinking, dancing, and never leaving each others side. And left the reader to wonder why they had left the party and returned a short while later. It was written to make Fitz appear to have moved on from Olivia to Harper. He made a mental note to add a meeting with Abby into his day to get this topic taken care of for the public perception. All things considered, it wasn't as bad as he thought it might be.

As the morning dragged on, Fitz was elbow deep in paperwork when a knock on the door sounded and Lauren entered bringing in his lunch. He glanced up at her, frowned, and looked at his watch. The morning was gone. It was one o'clock. Lauren brought his lunch to his desk as he cleared a space for it. He lifted the lid and his stomach growled. "I didn't realize what time it was. Thank you for bringing it in, Lauren." She nodded and left the room. Fitz ate at a leisurely pace, glancing at the picture of him and Harper from the newspapers in front of him. He still had a lot of ground to cover before the day was over. But at least he had made some headway workwise.

Once his lunch was gone, he picked up the phone and asked for an outside line. He dialed Harper's cell from memory and heard the ring back tone 'Georgia On My Mind.' He started humming along with the tune, and that quickly turned in to full out singing along with it. And his singing was the first thing Harper heard when she answered the phone. She didn't say 'hello' right off but rather continued listening to him sing until he realized the ring tone was no longer playing. "Very nice baritone, Mr. President. I'm impressed. Do you take requests?" She asked playfully.

Fitz chuckled and replied, "Only on special occasions Miss Phillips. How are you today?"

"After eight solid hours of sleep, I am having a fantastic day. How is your day going?"

"You know it's rude to brag," he joked. "I didn't get more than six hours of sleep last night, and I'm following that with a full day of work on a beautiful Saturday. But I have some very nice memories from last night that keep popping up in my mind to keep me side tracked. I'm afraid I'll never get everything done today. It's a problem."

"As we say in the south, Mr. President, 'bless your heart.'" Harper said in a southern twang.

"Is that as condescending as it sounds? Sounds like it's swamp talk for 'stop bitching.' " He smiled as he listened to her girly laughter.

"I never thought of it that way, but that's exactly what it means, more or less." She had just impolitely put the President in his place, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I'm glad you have those memories in your mind to keep you slightly side tracked, Mr. President."

"And why is that Mizz Phillips? I should think, as a tax paying citizen, you would like to know your money is paying my salary to get important work done here at the White House. Instead of catching myself occasionally staring into space with a goofy grin on my face."

"Oooooh there's a goofy grin? As a tax paying citizen, I really must demand to see that personally." She heard his chuckle and it made her smile bigger.

"That is above your pay grade. You do not have the clearance to see such things Mizz Phillips." Fitz really liked flirting with her. Their banter made him smile.

"Clearance or not, I have my ways Mr. President. It will happen," she said confidently.

"What are you gonna do? Drag me off into a dark room again?" He asked, hoping she would say yes.

"I don't repeat the same tactic twice, Mr. President. Besides, you would like that too much." Harper heard him gulp and then silence on the line. "Are you still with me?" She asked sweetly.

Fitz wished she was there with him as his mind wandered off into left field with very interesting thoughts of what she would do in an attempt to see his grin. He needed to change the topic of conversation before he asked her to come to the White House. He really wanted to know what tactics she would attempt. He cleared his throat and said, "yes, I'm still here. Have you had the chance to read the papers yet about the coverage on the party?"

Harper realized at that moment that play time between them was over for now. "I have. Some were kinder than others and I expected that. At least none that I read were flat out ugly."

He was grateful she hadn't read the last one he had. And he wasn't going to tell her about it. "I'm going to have Abby make a statement about the party the next time she's at the podium. It really needs to be addressed so the speculation about us will stop." Fitz really didn't want to bring this topic up, but he really needed to know more in order to deal with Cyrus later on. Still, he plunged ahead cautiously. "I know this is not something you probably want to discuss with me right now, but I have a meeting this afternoon with my Chief of Staff. Part of what I plan to discuss with him is what I believe was a planned meeting with Mr. Curry last night. I just want to know as much as I can about what happened between the two of you so that when I do talk to him about this I have my facts straight."

Harper's voice was barely above a whisper. "What do you mean? You think he brought him to the party on purpose? Why?"

"Cyrus loves to gather information on everyone he thinks is a threat. To my presidency. To his job. Whatever poses a risk in his mind. So, I think he got some information on you, found Mr. Curry, and brought him to the party in hopes of shaking you up. And he succeeded to a degree. I saw your demeanor change when he came near you. I felt you trembling after we walked away from them. So I know he has some effect on you. I know this is unconventional, but I need to talk to him about this and..."

"He used to hit me," she said in a low voice.

"What?" The truth was, Fitz suspected this very thing. But to hear her say the words was a different matter.

Harper cleared her throat and spoke up. "Ben used to hit me. Of course he didn't start out doing that. They never do from what I've heard. We had been dating for almost two years when he proposed. I naturally said yes because it was the logical next step. But not long after he put the ring on my finger, he started putting his hands on me. The first time, it was an accident as he called it. As I recall, I spilled some of my make up on his bathroom sink. So he slapped me across the face."

"Stop it." Fitz said.

Her voice was monotone. She was telling this story like she would tell a friend directions to a store. "He said I needed to learn a lesson. If I was going to be his wife, I had to be neat and clean. He was a military man after all, and they are OCD about neatness. He made me use my toothbrush and bleach to clean it up." She took a minute to calm down and continued, wanting to get it all out once and for all. "A few weeks before the wedding we had our biggest fight over my wedding dress. He insisted on seeing it. He wanted to make sure it covered enough skin, wasn't too tight, and basically belonged on a nun. Being a southern girl, I didn't believe a man should see the wedding dress until the moment she walked down the isle. And for that reason, among others, I intentionally didn't take him with me when I went shopping for my dress.

Anyways, he is yelling in my face and pointing his finger, demanding to see my dress and telling me I'd better learn my place as his wife and do what I'm told. And I am standing there defiantly with my arms crossed over my chest telling him there's no way in hell he's seeing it until the wedding." Harper was once again silent for a few moments, trying desperately to keep it together and willing herself not to cry in order to finish this story. Fitz heard her breathe deeply before continuing. Her voice was quieter. "I remember him grabbing me by the throat with both hands. I remember clawing at his hands with mine in an attempt to pry them off of me. I remember not being able to breathe. The next thing I remember was waking up several hours later in the middle of the night. I was still alone in my house, and everything hurt. I crawled to the front door and locked it. And then I crawled to my phone and text my mother asking her to come to my house. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed. I had blue and purple handprints on my neck. I had a few broken ribs where he repeatedly kicked me after I lost consciousness and fell to the floor. I had a broken arm from him stomping on it before he walked out of my house and left me there alone."

"That son of a bitch! He shook my hand last night while looking at you with...possessiveness. Now that I look back on it, he seemed to enjoy your reaction to him. The fact that you backed away from him seemed to encourage him somehow." He was pissed and wanted nothing more than to put his hands on Mr. Curry. And make him feel the pain and humiliation Harper undoubtedly felt years ago. He didn't want to hear anything more about this amazing woman being hurt by that asshole. "I'm very sorry that you had to endure that. It's absolutely unforgiveable. I know that wasn't easy for you, but I'm glad that you were comfortable enough to share that with me." After a few minutes of silence, and Fitz had gotten his temper under control, he spoke again. "Can I ask you another question? Not about this."

Harper's voice had softened some, but there was still a slight edge to it. "Of course, Mr. President."

"Is it possible for me to collect on my bet tonight? I'd really like to see you. It would be easier and less risky if you came here, but if you aren't up to it, I'd understand completely." He hoped he didn't sound like an asshole for asking her this after what she just told him.

"You want me to come cook you dinner tonight?"

He felt like an asshole. "You know what? I forgot I have something tonight and can't do it. It's on my schedule now that I'm looking at it..." He was fumbling badly.

"Stop it." She repeated his words back at him. "I'm not breakable. I'm tougher than you are giving me credit for. Besides, you can't invite me over to your house and then un-invite me. That's rude. And, it would be great to get this out of the way so I never have to hear about that damn bet anymore. It feels like it happened forever ago."

Fitz was amazed at the strength of this woman once again. "Ok. How long is it going to take you to cook me the best southern meal I've ever had?"

"I'll be waiting for a car to pick me up from my place at five. And don't get too cocky because you are helping me!"

"Miss Phillips, I never took you as a cheater. That was not a stipulation of the bet. So I will be playing the typical male tonight. Laying around like a slug while you prepare my food. I'm so looking forward to dinner already, and I just finished my lunch. See you tonight," he chuckled.

"Fine! Anything to get this over with. Goodbye, Fitz." Harper hung up the phone and started making a list of items she would need. She halted her writing and reflected on their phone conversation. It was difficult to talk about, but Harper was glad Fitz knew that detail of her past. It would make moving forward a little easier. And she really wanted to move forward with him. She smiled to herself and continued her list.

At quarter til five, Fitz finished up his paperwork and was making notes for his meeting with Cyrus. It was not going to be a pleasant meeting, but a necessary one. Harper was not going to be treated like the other women in his life. Fitz didn't want her researched and all of her flaws on display for him to see. He wanted to learn about them as they went along. And she learn his the same way. Neither did he want her to be made to feel insignificant or small in any way. She wasn't going to run his life, but neither was she going to be an outsider looking in and wanting to be a part of it. And she was not going to be used as a pawn in Cyrus' own personal game of chess in which he used her in any way he saw fit against Fitz.

A knock on the Oval door sounded and then in walked the man himself.


	14. The Peach State

**I'm not sure why I came back to this story. Maybe it was because of that crappy episode we got last Thursday? No new Fitz scenes, my ass! Anyways, after I re-read it I realized there is more here. I'll always be a die hard hope filled Oliz fan, and have not abandoned WCFIO, but writing this was a nice diversion. I hope you enjoy it...**

The Peach State

Cyrus strolled into the Oval Office and came to a stop in front of his boss' desk. "You wanted to see me, Mr. President?"

"Have a seat, Cy." Fitz gestured to one of the chairs in front of the Resolute. He watched Cyrus sit down, cross his legs and straighten his tie. Fitz already felt impatient but also sat down. "I asked for this meeting because it seems we have some rather important things to discuss."

Cyrus cocked his head to the side and with a questioning look said, "Anything I can do to help, Sir."

"Excellent. You can start by ceasing all inquiries into Harper Phillip's past." That got his Chief of Staff's attention. "I know you've looked into her."

"In an effort to pro..."

"Save it, Cy. We both know your intentions aren't as pure as trying to protect me." Fitz raised his eyebrows at the older man and silently dared him to refute it. When Cyrus said nothing, Fitz continued. "I know you brought Mr. Curry to the party knowing exactly who he was and what part he played in her past. It is just that. The past."

"Sir, if I may." Cyrus began.

"No." Fitz cut him off. "You may not. You are not going to look into her past any further. And if you have any other deep dark secrets that you plan on bringing into the light of day for your own twisted pleasure, I'm telling you as clearly as I can, to stop." His face was contorted into anger and his voice was getting louder as he spoke.

"You might have found some things about Harper that are unsavory. Bad even. But no one asked you to dig for those things. And no one asked you to bring one of them to a party at the White House in an effort to shake her up and embarrass her." He was beyond pissed right now.

Cyrus was in deep shit with his boss. The President was furious with him. He had overstepped by bringing Mr. Curry to the party. And now he had to pay the price for it by sitting in the Oval and listen to Fitz fuss at him like a parent who just discovered their son had been sneaking out of the house late at night. His discretion skills were slipping. He blamed Olivia for that.

Cyrus put on a remorseful face while the plotting on the inside went into over drive. He had to get the President to see this woman for what she was. He had found some very interesting things in her background. Things that would be bad for Fitz if they were discovered by the wrong people. He really was trying to protect his boss. And if it got rid of the food crazy woman at the same time then it was worth it.

Fitz had stood up and was now pacing behind his desk as he spoke to his Chief of Staff. "I am trying to move on with my life. I deserve to be happy. After being with Mellie for years in a loveless marriage, and finally being out in the open with Olivia and watching that fail miserably, I deserve to be happy. And I don't particularly care if the person I'm spending time with isn't someone of your choosing. You will accept it or keep your mouth closed on the subject. Do you understand?"

Cyrus put on his best repentant face and nodded. "Yes, Sir. I understand completely. But will the American people understand? Your love life is going to start looking like a revolving door of women coming in and out. The people who voted for you aren't going to like it. They can watch that kind of thing on reality television. They don't want to see it in the White House. And those who didn't vote for you are going to use it to tear you down. Your name will be in the news constantly if it gets out that you are dating this woman. The American people still don't even know that you and Olivia aren't together any more! Think of what the news of you having yet another woman in your life will have them thinking."

Fitz sat wearily into his chair. Cyrus was a pain in the ass. But he was right. He just wanted to be a regular guy, living a regular life. He knew that kind of life was right around the corner, with only months left to serve out in his Presidency. But he needed to deal with today. He needed a plan. "I hate saying it, but you're right. What can we do?"

Cyrus loved it when the silver lining shone through on a cloudy day. This was his opportunity to keep the Phillips woman at a distance and very busy. Too busy to do much with the President. He pretended to think about his bosses question. His head popped up and his sharp blue eyes scanned the room, as if in thought. All the while the President watched him like a hawk. He had to choose his words carefully here. "This is going to sound unconventional. It's never been done before, so it really is unconventional."

"I'm listening." Fitz replied.

"You are a single man running the White House. You have no one to take on the responsibilities of the First Lady. What do you think about asking Ms. Phillips to do that?" Cyrus said. "At least some of them."

"She has a full time job, Cyrus. There's no way she could possibly do that. And even if she did want to take on the First Lady duties, I'm sure there is some kind of protocol that would prevent private citizens from taking on the role." Fitz liked the idea of Harper being in the White House, of working with him. But he didn't think she could take the job for the reasons he had voiced to Cyrus as well as several others he probably hadn't even thought of yet. "Isn't there?"

"Honestly, Mr. President. I don't know. But I will gladly look into it to see what I can find out. It's never happened before, so I think we have some wiggle room on it, Sir." Cyrus had something to keep himself occupied pertaining to Harper Phillips. And if he found dirt on her, it would be an accident.

"Inquire discreetly, Cyrus. I want to keep this between the two of us for the time being." Fitz ordered.

Cyrus stood up and asked, "Is that all, Sir?"

"No." Fitz began, as he watched Cyrus sit back down. "That is not all. I want to know what the hell you have to do with the School Nutrition Bill the Senator from North Carolina wants to push through. Just tell me the truth."

Cyrus looked like a deer in headlights. He had no idea how his boss had found out about this. The silver lining on this day was getting slimmer as the conversation wore on. "Well, Sir..." Cyrus began. He had no idea what to say after that.

"Just say it. Tell me what's in it for you. I know that's what it all boils down to anyway." Fitz said wearily.

"A few months back my office got a call from Mr. Owens. It seemed the Senator from North Carolina was having trouble getting his school nutrition bill to go through. Still is in fact. He wanted to add some names in the pro column for it and take some off of the con side. Mr. Owens had reached out to several other senators to see if he could change their minds. The vote is very close. Practically fifty fifty. The Senator is an old friend of mine. We went to college together and he knew that I have the ear of the President. He wanted to know if he could count on your support if it came down to it." Cyrus hoped that sounded sincere.

"Is there any pork in the bill?" Fitz asked. He was referring to the crap senators add into bills to benefit themselves and their counter parts.

Cyrus waved his hand in front of his face dismissively. "What bill doesn't have pork in it? It's nothing terribly worrisome though." The face of the matter was that Cyrus did have valuable pork inside the bill that no one knew about. He wanted the bill to come down to the deciding vote of the Vice President because they were of the same accord with this bill. They both had pork in this bill. The same pork actually. But the President didn't know anything about it.

Cyrus and Andrew Nichols were secretly in the metal business. They had stock in Providence Steel. America's largest manufacturer of steel. In other words, the value of their stock would be elevated by restricting competition from the bidding process of other nations such as China, Mexico, Canada, as well as many others. The bill requires only American steel be used in any further expansion or construction of schools nationwide. Cyrus and Andrew would be financially set for a long time. But that was nothing in comparison to the power they wielded from this particular bill. Power trumped money every time. And Cyrus loved power.

"I'll take another look at it on Monday and get back to you. I don't see a problem, unless there's something ridiculous in the bill." Fitz amended. "Please let me know what you find out about the First Lady duties. I'm interested to see what you discover there."

"Will do, Mr. President. Have a good evening." Cyrus said before he stood up and walked out the door. That had been close. Entirely too close for his liking. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the nearly empty bottle. He downed a couple of the antacids and never broke his stride.

It was almost six o'clock when Fitz started walking towards the residence from the Oval. He was tired, but it was well worth it. His uninterrupted time with Teddy tomorrow would make today seem like a passing inconvenience. And he had dinner with Harper to look forward to as well. He wondered what she would cook? He hoped he liked it.

As he rounded the last corner, a familiar scent filled his nostrils. Fried chicken! He had eaten some really great food in the southern states when he had been on the campaign trail years ago. Fried chicken was one of his all time favorites. His footsteps quickened and he was standing in the kitchen before he knew it.

The smell of chicken frying in vegetable oil on top of the stove was heavenly. Fitz was not paying attention to the chicken at the moment though. Harper had her back to him and was standing in front of the huge stainless steel stove. She had on a pair of fitted black dress pants and a peach top. She was currently dancing to whatever song was coming through the ear buds in her ears. Her hips were swaying side to side and Fitz quietly took a seat on one of the bar stools in front of the island counter behind her. He put his chin in his palm as he rested his elbow on the counter. He was riveted to the show she was unknowingly putting on for him. He grinned when she started singing. She wasn't bad. Not great, but still. It was cute.

Fitz worried about Harper burning herself if she turned around and was startled by seeing him there. He wondered how to let her know he was there in a safe manner. The idea hit him from nowhere. But first, he watched for a few more minutes. He could sit there all night long. But his stomach was growling. He reluctantly got up, walked to the wall, and flicked the light on and off a few times until he saw her head lift up to the ceiling. She turned around and saw him standing there grinning.

Harper pulled out the ear buds and returned his grin. "Hey! How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to enjoy a little show before dinner." He replied, going back to his spot on the stool. "It smells really really good. Fried chicken, right?"

"Good guess. It's actually fried turkey. It's a little healthier." She offered with a serious face.

Fitz smiled politely and said, "Oh. I'm sure it'll be great."

Harper laughed at him and said, "I'm messing with you. It is chicken. And I made enough for both of us and your secret service detail. How about you fix the salad? Because we are definitely going to need something healthy to go with all this grease."

"How about I go take a shower while you fix the salad because you lost the bet?" He countered. She balled up the hand towel in her hand and threw it at him as he dashed off to the shower, leaving her to finish dinner.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked back into the kitchen feeling a little more human and a lot more comfortable. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a Navy t-shirt. "What can I do to help now?" He offered.

Harper looked up at him and felt her mouth go dry. He was barefoot. His hair was damp and his curls were wild. "Uhhhhh you can set the table. Please."

Fitz saw her reaction to him and couldn't help but smile. "What exactly are we having for dinner?"

"If you had stayed to help, Mr. President, then you would know. But since you left me to do it by myself, you'll just have to be surprised." She chided smugly.

"Touché Miss Phillips." The table was set and he pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit. He pushed her chair closer to the table and then took his own seat. "So what exactly is this amazing southern home cooked meal that we are partaking of this evening?"

Harper pulled the lids off of the serving dishes. "We have fried chicken, homemade macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, and cornbread." She watched for his reaction.

Fitz stared at her from across the table. "And for dessert?" He asked straight faced.

She held his gaze and with her own straight face replied, "Nothing but the best for the President of the United States of America. I come from the peach state. It's only fitting to have peach pie."

"That'll work. Let's see if you can cook as well as you dance." He grinned at her and picked up his piece of chicken, taking a big bite of it. Harper watched as he closed his eyes and let out a hum of approval. She smiled and started eating her own food.

They chatted in between bites and eventually he sat back in his chair. "That was amazing but I think I ate too much."

"No pie?" Harper asked sweetly.

"Don't mention food right now! It hurts too much." He complained. He sat there digesting his food as Harper made plates for the grateful Secret Service agents who enjoyed the food as much as the President had.

Fitz dragged his ass up out of his chair to help with clearing the table. "Just leave the dishes in the sink. Someone will get them later." He took her hand and led her to the living room. They sat side by side in silence until he turned to her and said, "Thank you for dinner. It was great. We should bet more often."

"No thanks. You are a bad winner and I can't handle your arrogant self rubbing your win in my face."

He scooted closer to her and brought his hand up to her cheek. "Thank you for coming over tonight. For cooking for me."

Harper leaned her cheek into his touch and held onto his wrist. "Thank you for inviting me." She licked her lips and met his half way in a sweet kiss. Well, it started out sweet and quickly grew heated. Before she could think about it, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She held onto his back with one hand while the other one played in his hair. There were happy moans and moments later, in one swift move, Fitz had her underneath him on the couch as he continued his assault on her mouth.

He knew he shouldn't be doing this with her. Not here. Not yet. He needed some self control right now, but couldn't seem to find any. He continued kissing her and felt her hips start to roll underneath him. He wanted nothing more than to explore what those hips could do without the hindrance of clothing. He groaned at the exciting thought.

He started slowly pulling the edge of her shirt up over her flat belly. He got no resistance from her and took that as a sign to continue. Harper tore her lips from his mouth and sucked in a breath of air. Fitz's mouth left her lips and she felt his body start to move down hers. His mouth hovered over her stomach and he kissed the exposed flesh there. Fitz continued to pull the cotton material up over her ribs, kissing her skin as he went up. When all that was left to uncover was her breasts, Fitz looked into her eyes and waited for her permission.

Harper had been holding her breath. This man was making her feel things she hadn't in a very long time. She didn't want him to stop, but didn't want to appear too eager either. His mouth felt so good on her skin though. When she caught sight of his intense blue eyes staring into her soul, her breath rushed out of her lungs quickly. She slowly nodded to him and watched to see what he would do.

Fitz held onto the edge of the shirt and pulled it up to her neck, revealing a peach lace covered bra. He looked up at her and whispered reverently, "I love the peach state." Harper chuckled at his candor. She put her hands in the damp hair on the back of his head and rubbed his scalp lightly. Fitz dipped his head again and planted feather light kisses on her bra covered breasts. He noticed a little clasp in the front and was thankful for the invention on behalf of all horny men around the world.

Just as he reached up to open the clasp, Tom rushed into the room and stated, "Mr. President, I apologize for the interruption, but I need you to come with me now."


	15. Idiots and Ghosts

**I am well aware that this story isn't everyone's cup of tea. Everyone in the fandom has their own opinions of what they would like to see happen on the show between Olivia & Fitz. And none of them are wrong. But this is my way of dealing with their "off again" time right now. I completely understand if this story isn't for you. But it is my story. I don't do it for reviews or followers. I do it so that Fitz is happy, in love, and loved in return by someone who isn't B613 or has ulterior motives as I believe Angela has. I appreciate every one of you who is still reading this, few as you might be. It makes me feel like I am not alone in my thoughts of what I want Fitz to have. Happy reading :)**

Idiots and Ghosts

Tom led the President out of the residence and down corridors to the Oval Office. As his steps quickened to match those of his Secret Service detail Fitz asked, "What's going on, Tom? What's the emergency?"

Tom said nothing until they were inside the Oval. "Sir, there was a breach in the White House."

"What? When? How far did the perpetrator get?" Fitz asked bewilderedly.

"Not far. Bringing you down here was precautionary. He was just taken into custody and is currently being removed from the premises. I'm sorry I had to disturb your evening in the residence, Sir." Tom apologized.

"It's protocol, Tom. You were just doing your job. I appreciate you keeping me safe."

"Yes, Sir."

"Can we have a car take Miss Phillips home? I hate that I bolted out of there so quickly and left her alone." Fitz wondered what Harper must be thinking right now. She was probably wondering what the hell had just happened. One minute she's gloriously exposed and sharing an intimate moment with him and the next he's being rushed out the door and gone while she's left there alone.

"It's already been taken care of, Mr. President. I had Randall stay with her until it was safe for her to leave. She is currently on her way to her residence. If I may, Sir, it was nice of her to cook dinner for the detail too." Tom liked Harper and was well aware of the direction the evening was headed for she and his boss. It was terrible timing, but Tom's job was to protect the President above everything else.

"Thank you, Tom. That was quick thinking. Please keep me updated on the situation. That will be all." Tom bid his boss goodnight and stepped through the door to stand guard on the other side of it. Fitz ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Or was it thankfulness? He wasn't sure. Harper seemed ready to take the next step physically in their relationship. He seemed ready too. But was he really? Fifteen minutes ago the answer would have been hell yes. Thinking back on it now, he wasn't so sure.

Fitz hadn't been unattached for very long. He had fooled around with another woman on that very same couch not so long ago. He would be honest and say that thoughts of her never entered his mind when he was with Harper, and hadn't that night either. But the memories were still there if he thought about it long enough. And as much as he hated to admit it, they still hurt some. Did that mean he wasn't ready to move on with someone else? Fitz didn't know.

He didn't want to rush sex with Harper. He wasn't a fool, and realized that she was a grown woman who could decide for herself what she did and did not want. That she had a voice to say no if she wanted to. But she hadn't said no. She had nodded, granting him permission to continue his exploration of her body. He smiled at the memory. He remembered her eyes looking a little darker green than the mossy color they usually were. Her lips had been beautifully swollen from the heated kisses they shared. He would be thinking of her rolling hips for the rest of the evening. And she had looked really sexy under his body.

Dammit! Was he trying to talk himself into it or out of it?

Deciding it was an issue that wasn't going to be resolved tonight, Fitz sat down in his leather chair behind his desk and picked up the phone, asking for a secure line. He needed to call her and make sure she was alright. He dialed Harper's number and listened to Ray sing about Georgia being on his mind. You aren't alone there, Ray, Fitz thought to himself. Finally, on the third ring, she answered. She sounded shaken up.

"H-hello?" Harper was sitting in the back seat of a black town car heading to her house. It seemed like it had taken Fitz hours to call her after he had been ushered out of the residence at lightening speed by his Secret Service detail. When she looked at her watch, she realized it had only been a little over twenty minutes.

"Harper? It's Fitz. Are you alright?" He asked concerned.

Silence on the line.

"Harper?" He asked once again.

"I'm here, Mr. President." She stated. She willed her voice to sound stronger than she felt.

So she was back to his formal title. That wasn't good. "Are you ok? I'm very sorry for everything that happened in the residence tonight." Fitz hated that he couldn't see her face to face to tell her how truly sorry he was. He hoped she would understand.

He was apologizing for everything that had happened? What the hell did that mean? He was sorry for dinner? Or for the fooling around that happened on the couch afterwards? Or for abruptly being whisked away, leaving her there with a man she didn't know? Was he apologizing for all of it? Harper searched for perspective and meaning in his words. None came to her. She was starting to feel like a fool.

Maybe he didn't intend for things to get as physical as they had between them? Maybe he was already regretting the little that did happen? Maybe he had come to his senses and realized that he shouldn't be doing those sorts of things while he was in office? In the White House of all places. She felt mortified.

"It's quite alright. What happened? You were there one minute and the next you were gone. I've never seen people move that fast." It had been a sight to behold.

"Someone got onto the White House property. The Secret Service had to take me to a secure place until it was safe." He explained.

"Ohmygod! Are you ok? Was the person apprehended? How far onto the grounds did he or she get?" Harper wasn't thinking about his apology any longer. She was concerned for his safety. Obviously he was safe, or he wouldn't be calling her. But to know the situation could have ended a different way shook her up some.

"I'm fine. Tom told me the man was taken into custody and removed. He didn't get very far."

"I'm so relieved. It could have been so much worse. Does that happen often?" She inquired. She never thought about something like that before.

Fitz ignored her question and moved the phone to his other ear. "I'm sorry this put a damper on our evening. I hope you will forgive me for it. It's just part of the job."

"Of course. There's nothing to forgive. Your safety is very important to the nation and the people who live here."

"Soooo, when would you like to attempt it again?" Fitz asked with trepidation in his voice. "A normal evening in, I mean."

Harper pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it with a confused expression on her face. What did he just ask her? She put the phone back up to her cheek and said, "I thought you just apologized for everything that happened tonight?"

Fitz scrunched up his face. What the hell was she talking about? Of course he had apologized for everything that had...And then it hit him. She thought he had apologized for their physical activity. She thought he regretted it. He thought he had regretted it too. So where was this sudden need to clarify his apology coming from? He smiled into the phone and counted to five, allowing patience to settle over him before speaking. "I was apologizing for my sudden departure. For leaving you behind while being whisked away to safety. For our evening being rudely interrupted by an idiot."

"But you said you were sorry for everything that happened? I assumed that meant everything that had happened." Harper willed patience to come shooting into her body at the speed of light. She tried breathing slowly, but that didn't help.

"Let me clarify a couple of things. I am not sorry for enjoying dinner with you. I am not sorry for what transpired on the couch between us after dinner." Fitz heard her breath catch through the phone line and smiled at what she must be thinking. He lowered his voice and said, "I am sorry we didn't get the chance to continue what was started. And I am sorry that you had to leave so quickly. Is that clear enough, Miss Phillips?"

He needed to stop talking. She was about to have the driver turn the car around and go back to the White House so they could find the finish line to what had begun on that couch. His voice and the words he was saying were doing things to her. "Uhhh I believe it is."

"Excellent. So, when would you like another attempt a normal night in? I'm assuming you would cook dinner again." He knew that would break all tension and waited for her sarcastic reply.

"That would be a poor assumption on your part, Mr. President. You have collected your winnings and southern girls do not repeat the same trick twice. No matter who the victor is. I'm thinking it's time you cooked dinner for me." She said in her southern twang with great sass. She was feeling a lot more relaxed now that things had been made more clear. She was looking forward to another evening with him. To continue what was started. All manner of thoughts were running through her head, and none of them were pure.

Fitz wanted her to come back to the White House tonight. He wanted to see her. Needed to see her. He wanted to do things with her and to her. And he was pretty sure she wanted to do things with and to him as well. But it would have to wait. Damn crazy people! "Ok. I'll have the chef whip us up something..."

"Oh no, Sir." Harper chided. "That would be cheating. I'm not stepping foot back into the residence until you promise me that you will indeed be cooking dinner all by yourself. I'm even going to show up early so I can witness you preparing the meal with my own eyes. Maybe I'll get to see you dancing? " He had her grinning wider than she ever had before. "Your schedule is a lot more demanding than mine is, so you let me know when you have a free evening."

She didn't say she wouldn't come to the White House. She said the residence. Fitz had found a loophole in her demands. Not that it mattered. Apparently his worries were gone and the decision had been made automatically. He wanted to see her again. And he wanted to pursue something with her. "Tell you what. Tomorrow I am spending the day with my son. It's why I worked so hard all day today. But he will be picked up at five o'clock by his nanny. What if I sent a car to pick you up at five so you'd be here by five thirty?"

"That depends," Harper flirted.

"On what?" He asked playfully.

Harper smiled into the receiver. It was stupid but she missed him. "What are you cooking?"

"I guess you'll have to show up to find out, Miss Phillips. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Fitz." She uttered and ended the call.

She had called him Fitz again. That was a good sign. What the hell had he been worried about earlier? He couldn't even remember anymore. He believed what he told Cyrus in the Oval several hours ago. He deserved to be happy. And right now Harper made him happy.

Fitz put his feet up on his desk and let things run through his mind. The hurt that he felt over losing Olivia would take time. He didn't think it would ever completely go away. She was the love of his life. And that is a hard thing to deal with and let go of. What made it harder was knowing she had made the decision to walk away from him. He had no choice in the matter. One person can only fight so much for a relationship. It takes two. And if both aren't willing to push through the hard times and face them together, there really isn't much of a future for them to begin with.

The fact of the matter is that he made allowances for her running when things got tough. He never liked it, but because he loved her so much he always forgave it. The truth is, he shouldn't have. It just made it easier for her to do it again and again. There were no repercussions for it. Only anger and hurt feelings and the demanding sex that usually followed as a way of soothing over the wounds. That was their routine. Their way of handling things when they got difficult. It seemed ridiculous to him now.

He hadn't really been in a position to make demands of her, because he had been a married man most of the time they were together. Maybe that was why he forgave her every time she left. Because he himself felt like he couldn't do anything to change their situation. He had felt stuck too. Love was a bitch sometimes.

He didn't place all of the blame for the way things ended on her. He knew he had made his share of mistakes and missteps where she was concerned. Moving her into the White House without her knowledge had not been his best plan. Trying desperately to hold on to her while remaining married to Mellie had not been fair of him either. If Fitz had known what life was like without Mellie he would have divorced her a long time ago. Then maybe he and Olivia could have been happy? But then he wouldn't be sitting in the Oval Office at this moment either.

Fitz felt a headache coming on and decided not to think about any of that for the rest of the night. It wouldn't change a damn thing anyways. He opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out the pill bottle, popping two Tylenol down his throat. He closed the drawer and stood up to walk out of his office. Leaving the memories that floated through his mind in there too. He walked out into the hall and heard Tom's large footsteps following close behind him all the way back to the residence.

What the hell was he going to do for the rest of the night?


End file.
